Just A Dream and Nothing More
by fancyfarmer
Summary: Two years after Alice set sail for China she returns to England only to find that she has some choices to make. On one hand there's her mother who wants her to marry. On the other hand there's Underland and a certain green-eyed hatter. Sequel in progress.
1. Prologue

**AN**: Saw the movie, absolutely loved it. And then the end came. And went. Since I was not fully pleased with how the movie ended, this shall be a continuation of the movie, right from the ending.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Alice in Wonderland 2010. Those rights belong to Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton. I also don't own the bit of poetry down there. The poet's name is given.

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_Stay, shadow of contentment too short-lived,_

_illusion of enchantment I most prize,_

_fair image for whom happily I die,_

_sweet fiction for whom painfully I live._

- Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

(translated by Margaret Sayers Peden)

Alice would dream often.

The nauseating rocking of the unsteady ship did nothing for her stomach, which seemed to be very empty as of late, but at night she would have the most colourful dreams. Until, that is, she would awake to find that the world had been turned upside-down and the spiced curry she had for dinner did not want to stay put. That was when she would become very well acquainted with the side of the ship.

But the dreams she had were, for lack of a better word, wonderful.

It was during one night, when her digestive system was unnaturally cooperative, that she found herself in Underland again. Not in the usual manner, but through her dreams. It had been two years since she had sailed off to China with the hope of returning with a business partner and the security that came with it. She had accomplished far more than she had first thought, and Lord Ascot went out of his way to thank her for all of her effort.

Now, on her way back to England, Alice found she was quite restless. She missed her family, but not as much as she missed that strange world below the rabbit hole. That longing made itself most aware during the hours she was fast asleep in her room on the ship, safely tucked away in the tiny bunk. There she would have visions involving a mad hare, a White Queen and a pair of bickering twins. She would wander through seemingly enchanted woods, and run from a rather nasty woman who wanted nothing more than to have her head cut off.

Those dreams would evaporate into a puff of smoke as soon as she woke, either from her churning stomach or by one of the cabin boys who insisted she get some breakfast. This particular night it was the former that awoke her from her slumber just as she reached a rather peculiar tea party. As she rolled onto her other side on the small bed, her stomach gave an unpleasant growl.

Shooting out of her covers, her legs becoming entangled in the sheets as she did so, Alice made a beeline for the door. Throwing it open she ran, albeit a tad lopsided, towards the stairs that led to the deck of the ship. She was bathed in moonlight as soon as she surfaced from below deck, and she scurried over to the side of the ship in record time.

When she was finished getting rid of her dinner, Alice leaned on the rail of the ship and let the salty tang of ocean air cool her face.

"I knew I shouldn't have had the oysters," she muttered to herself, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Raw shellfish doesn't agree with me."

She gazed out across the ocean that they had been traversing for months. Lord Ascot assured her that they would reach England any day now, but Alice had her doubts. Everything looked the same out here and it did nothing for her fragile hopes, which were in danger of snapping any moment.

The moon lit the water and Alice had to squint at the constant glittering mass of ocean. She stood there for a half hour, and that was enough time for her to notice something peculiar. There was a dark mass on the horizon that hadn't moved in the time that Alice had been staring at it. It rose rather majestically out of the ocean, and it looked eerily familiar…

Then it clicked. Solid mass on the horizon, not moving whatsoever…Alice grinned like an idiot as she spun around from her position at the side of the ship.

"Land ho!" She shouted, not caring how ridiculous she sounded. "I can see England!"

She turned back to happily laugh at the mass of earth on the horizon. Seeing solid ground for the first time in a fortnight made her giddy beyond belief. She ran to the prow of the boat, throwing herself as far forward as she could. Standing on the open deck of a ship in nothing but a nightdress should have had her trembling with cold. Instead she relished it, and as she heard the rest of the crew begin to assemble, Alice had thoughts only for that speck of land in front of her.

After two years she was finally returning home; to England…and to Underland.

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**AN**: And there we go. Anyone who noticed the book reference thrown in there as an afterthought will receive my utmost praise.

Read and review, people! That's why they put that lovely little button down there.

:) fancyfarmer


	2. A Carriage Ride

**AN**: Well, here's the next chapter as promised! It technically hasn't been a week, but it's Sunday so I said go figure. There's no Hatter here...yet. Don't worry, he appears spontaneously in a chapter further along.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything/one from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, or Lewis Carroll's novel. I also don't own the song quote down there. Gomez does. And there's been a couple variations on Alice's last name, so I've written it as it appears in the movie credits.

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_Turn me inside out and upside down,  
and try to see things my way.  
Turn a new page, tear the old one out,  
and I'll try to see things your way._

- Gomez, _How we Operate_

_A Month Later… _

"Alice dear, are you certain you're alright?"

The mentioned woman shook her head slightly to rid herself of the cobwebs that were becoming ever more apparent there. She focused her eyes in front of her, and saw that Helen Kingsleigh was giving her a rather worried stare. Why was her mother concerned about her? Oh, right. As her brain re-established control over her movements, she gave her mother a smile. She had been staring out the carriage window, admiring the bright afternoon sun since she had stepped foot in the wooden coach. It was no small wonder her mother was so scared; women weren't supposed to think for themselves, much less get lost in their thoughts.

"I'm fine, mother. I just had the most peculiar daydream, that's all." And she wasn't happy at being woken from it. A pair of bright green eyes seemed to be burned into her retinas for the moment, and Alice blinked a few times to make them disappear.

Her mother, seeming to ignore the fact that her daughter was acting slightly strange, gave a small sigh. "Daydreaming. It reminds me of Charles, he always used to…" Helen paused in mid-sentence, as she was sure that the mention of Alice's father would send her daughter off crying or worse.

When Alice said nothing and her eyes drifted over to the carriage window once again, her mother was certain she'd hit a nerve. "Alice, I'm sorry. I know how close you were to your father. I shouldn't have-"

"Mother, I'm fine," Alice spoke softly, tilting her head to the side to observe her mother while she was still facing the window. "We should be able to speak of Father without feeling as if we've said something out of line. Besides," she chuckled. "You know how he used to daydream. He would always be lost in his own study half the time."

Helen gave her daughter a timid smile as she recalled memories of the past. "Yes, you're right. He'd sit there in his favourite chair, completely lost within his own world. I'd have to go and get him because there were business partners waiting downstairs and he was late for a meeting!" She sighed, reaching out with a hand to pat her daughter's knee. "He was a good man, even if he was a bit eccentric."

Alice looked down at her mother's hand and smiled to herself. Taking her own hand from her lap she placed it over her mother's. "It's been almost three years since his passing, and yet it feels as if he's still here." Alice glanced up to look her mother in the eye. "I don't want to forget him."

Helen gave her daughter a sad smile of understanding. She brought her other hand up to lightly touch Alice's face. "I'm not sure you could ever truly forget him; you two are so alike."

Alice chuckled again. "That's what I'm worried about. An eccentric woman has no place in society."

Helen leaned back and let go of her hand. "While there is some truth to that, I think you have grown into a wonderful young woman, one who has accomplished much more than most. But, my dear," she paused. "I hope that you settle down eventually. You're nearly twenty-three already and you have no children, let alone a husband."

"Maybe that is why I feel as if I don't fit in. At this moment I have no intention of marrying, unless it is for love." Alice stared pointedly out the window as she said this, focusing on the rolling English countryside instead of the undoubtedly appalled look on her mother's face. At the moment she was regretting that the Ascot's lived so far away from the Kingsleigh estate. If they lived closer, it would save her from the lecture she was surely about to get.

"Alice…" she heard the elder Kingsleigh woman sigh. "Marriage seldom occurs because the two people love each other. It is something that is meant to help both families, whether it is financially or socially. Love between the couple comes after marriage, if at all."

"And that is _exactly_ why," Alice fumed, still staring out the window, "I am not going to be married off to the first man who asks for my hand. Marriage without love is something that I do not agree with."

"Which is why you publicly humiliated Hamish Ascot two years ago?" her mother asked. "Because you did not _love_ him?"

"Exactly."

Helen Kingsleigh made an extremely unladylike noise that sounded like a cross between a growl and a sigh. Alice could picture her mother as a rather angry feral cat at the moment, complete with whiskers and tail.

"That is nothing to smirk at, young lady!" her mother admonished. "If you were not on such good terms with Lord Ascot, our reputation would have been in ruin! You're lucky that they still wish to see you at their estate!"

"Lord Ascot had some business matters to discuss with me. I shall be fortunate if I even see Hamish while I am there." Alice said rather petulantly as her hands twitched. She wished the carriage wasn't so small; she felt as if she were suffocating. "Besides, isn't some noblewoman going to be married off to him soon? He surely wouldn't be at home."

Her mother gasped. "Such talk might be tolerable in private, but certainly not in public! You should act like a proper woman, Alice."

"How do you define 'proper,' mother?" Alice asked. "Women are supposed to act a certain way or they will be condemned? They must take orders from others, and never be the ones to give them? I cannot live that way for the rest of my life."

Alice's mother looked uncertain. "Women…women are supposed to cook, clean and raise children. Those are their duties, and nothing more."

Alice rolled her eyes slightly as the carriage rumbled down a gravel drive. Trees whipped past them as they made their way onto the Ascot estate. Both women inside were jostled left and right until the horses were bid to slow down, and the creaking wooden deathtrap rolled to a stop. Alice sat quite still, staring stonily at her mother until the driver came up and rapped once upon the door before opening it.

"We have arrived at the Ascot Estate, ma'am," he addressed Alice's mother with considerable respect, doffing his hat to her. Helen gave one last look at her rueful daughter and took the hand the man offered, stepping up and out of the carriage.

"Miss Kingsleigh? Are you coming?" the driver asked, also offering her a hand. Alice took it slowly, carefully striding out of the carriage as stately as she could.

Her mother, who had waited for her a few feet away, took her by the arm as she reached her. With a wave to the driver, who stated he would be back at four o'clock sharp to pick them up, Helen and Alice Kingsleigh turned and made their way toward the rather large front door of the Ascots' house.

"It isn't right for you to let your mind wander so often," her mother scolded. "You must remember that your visions are just dreams and nothing more."

Alice picked up the hem of her light green dress, wincing as it accidentally hit a puddle. Her mother noticed the action, which gave her more reason to scowl at her daughter as they strode up the steps. Alice wasn't quite sure what her mother muttered, but she was sure she heard the words 'wish' and 'son' thrown into the air somewhere.

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**AN**: Read and review, please! I love that so many of you have put this story on your alerts and favourites and such, but a quick review is welcome! Thanks to the two people who reviewed my story as well.


	3. A Business Meeting

**AN**: As it's Easter weekend and I am gone for the next couple days with my family (dinner and such), I've decided to go ahead and give you lovely people _two_ chapters this week! That's right, two whole chapters for your reading enjoyment. And if enough people want me to, I _might_ update again on Sunday or Monday. But you guys have to let me know.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, as usual. Everything belongs to Tim Burton, Disney and Lewis Carroll respectively.

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The door to Lord Ascot's study quietly clicked shut behind Alice as the maid scurried away, her job done.

The young woman glanced around the inviting room, her eyes scanning around the many bookcases placed at either end of it. The leather-bound tomes that the wooden shelves held were collected personally by the Lord and placed in a certain order, which changed periodically as he saw fit. There was a large table placed in the middle of the spacious area and an ornate rug underneath it. Two leather armchairs had been arranged at strategic points: one by a fireplace in the corner and another by one of the bookcases. It was in one of these chairs that Lord Ascot now reclined and he peered up from reading a book when he heard Alice enter.

"Alice my dear, just the person I wanted to see," the Lord's face broke out in a congenial grin as he ushered the young woman further into the room with a wave of his hand. "I'll be right with you; I'm just finishing this chapter. It is a most delightful book. Perhaps I will lend it to you sometime." As he said this he buried his nose in the novel, his eyes scanning the lines quickly.

Alice smiled to herself at the Lord's behavior. He was a much better person than his wife, who was incensed at the best of times. Lord Ascot treated her like he would a daughter, and that gave her a pang of guilt. If she had said yes to Hamish, she would be the Lord's actual daughter-in-law. Instead here Alice stood in the Lord's study, a business partner and a friend. She walked idly around the room, stopping once she came to the oak table. There were numerous maps laid out on it, and their contents ranged from China to Mongolia. A pipe had been set aside on the lower portion of China, and Alice could still smell the tobacco. It didn't offend her, however. If anything it made her miss this room even more.

"Ah, eager to get to business, are you?" Lord Ascot's voice floated up from behind her. He had evidently finished his book and was now coming up to stand on her left side.

Alice's eyes lit up in mirth. "Not quite, but I happened to notice the maps. Am I correct in thinking that all these red dots," she indicated the marks all over China, "are the cities and ports that have agreed to trade with our company?"

"That they are, my dear. And there are a great deal more of them than I first thought. You did a terrific job overseas." He practically beamed at her.

"Thank you, Lord Ascot," Alice replied demurely. She was still uncomfortable with receiving praise, even if this time she didn't have to slay a Jabberwocky to earn it. Her eyes scanned the maps once more, and this time she picked up something odd. "Why are there dots on Mongolia? I didn't think we'd been there yet."

"No, you are correct. We haven't been there _yet_. I have made some contacts in central and south Mongolia and they are interested in trading with us as well. They have requested a representative to visit their cities and ports to confirm their curiosity." Lord Ascot finished excitedly, his bright eyes smiling down at Alice.

The young woman's eyes widened considerably as she glanced down at the maps. Who would Lord Ascot get to travel _that_ far? It took her two years to get from England to China and back. How long would this trip take?

"I know that look in your eye, Miss Kingsleigh, but it isn't what you're thinking. We've had considerable interest in the company since your voyage to China, and there are several men who have volunteered to go this time around." Lord Ascot chuckled at the shocked looked in her eye. "My dear, did you really believe I would send you off sailing again when you've only just returned? You are still a young woman, after all."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I just wanted-"

"To be involved in the venture?" Lord Ascot finished for her. "I don't doubt it for a second, and that's why I'm having the men write me every week detailing the trading information. Don't worry Alice; the company is in good hands."

Alice smiled. He _was_ right, after all. Who was she to judge the man who had taken her on as an associate, something unheard of for a woman? She owed him so much, and the least she could give him was her trust.

"Look at it this way," Lord Ascot continued, as if noticing the flicker of doubt cross her face. "With you staying home during this trip, you'll have more free time to yourself. You might possibly use it to make amends with your mother." When Alice opened her mouth to reject that certain claim, he held up one hand to silence her. "While I may not be that perceptive as a man, I _did_ see you arrive at my home. You didn't seem to be in the best of spirits either, if you don't mind my saying."

Alice shook her head. "No, we had a bit of an argument surrounding my refusal to marry for anything but love. My mother wants me to marry regardless."

Lord Ascot sighed. "Ah, marriage. It's a tricky business, if you know what I mean." He gave her a sidelong smirk as he ushered both of them over to a window seat overlooking the front drive. "As it occurs to me that you won't settle for any ordinary man, let me give you some advice."

He sat down on the cushion and Alice did likewise. She stared out the window for a second before Lord Ascot commanded her attention once more. "Marriage isn't for everyone, and regardless of what society dictates there is no law stating that you have to be married. You can marry when you want to, and it isn't insane to wait for someone who loves you. Your Aunt Imogene is an exception to that," he whispered, lowering his voice secretively.

When Alice managed a smile he continued. "Between you and me, is there anyone that you fancy at this moment?"

Alice swallowed visibly. She was completely unsure how to answer this. "Well…there is possibly one. But I haven't seen him in nearly three years."

Lord Ascot was grinning widely now. "Your mother doesn't know about him, does she?"

Alice shook her head. "She's never met him." She added as an afterthought that she probably never would. It was for the best that Helen Kingsleigh never meets that strange, tea-loving man. She would probably have an aneurysm and faint from utter shock.

"Well, aren't you one ripe for scandal!" Lord Ascot beamed. "Don't tell me he's a stuffy aristocrat, my dear."

Alice chuckled as she was completely taken in by the Lord's friendly manner. He reminded her so much of her father right now that it made her heart ache. "No, I'm afraid not. He is a touch mad, however."

Lord Ascot laughed warmly. "Good. Someone as eccentric as you shouldn't settle for a completely sensible man. That would be utter insanity."

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**AN**: Next chapter, coming right up! By the way, I hope I wrote Lord Ascot in character. He kind of seemed like a potential father figure/friend to Alice in the movie, so I'm building off that.

Review, people!! Special thanks goes to _AdriRin_ for leaving such a good review! Thank you, and I hope these chapters are as well-written as the rest!


	4. Just a Dream?

**AN**: Here's the other chapter I promised you today! I apologize that there isn't any Hatter in it yet, but he's coming! In fact, I had written him in much later in the story, but he kinda jumped up in the plot a lot sooner than I had first expected. So, in two chapters or so, he makes his grand entrance.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, obviously. Lewis Carroll, Disney and Tim Burton do.

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The window in Alice's room was thrown open unceremoniously later that same night, long after dinner had ended. The young woman stood back slightly to let the cool air of the midsummer night wash over her. Since her bedroom was on the first floor, she didn't have the best view, but it was better than the spare room at the back of the house.

_That_ particular room faced the dreary backyard which was pitted with the gardener's failed attempts at planting flowers. She vaguely recalled how her mother had fired the man not a week before because of his deplorable skills. Alice had quite liked that man. He was an older fellow, and Alice had found herself caught in conversation with him more than once. Now she would quite likely never see him again, but the ground still held the reminders that his trowel had been there.

Those dark holes brought back a memory to her, one that hadn't come to the surface in at least a week. She was reminded suddenly of pitching headfirst down a similar hole, although the ones in the garden were only large enough to fit one foot in. The rabbit hole _she_ had fallen down was a great deal larger than those she now thought of.

She had the sudden urge to wander into the garden to test the holes and see how large they indeed were. Although she knew it was a hopeless venture, a faint whisper of longing hung in the air before her.

"I'll be back before you know it," she whispered to herself, turning away from the window and the bright moonlight that was filtering through it. She missed Underland terribly, and she felt even more disconnected from her own life in England because of it. But she was going back; that she was certain of. It was only a matter of time.

Besides, the Kingsleighs had been invited to a dinner party at the Ascots' estate not three days later. It was being held in honour of Hamish's upcoming marriage to some noblewoman whose name escaped Alice at the present moment. Since this dinner wasn't being held for her and no one would be proposing to her this time around, she had a certain level of freedom. Freedom that could be spent running through a patch of forest and falling down a certain rabbit hole.

And this time, she had every intention of staying in Underland.

She had put her affairs in right order in the past few years. She was no longer attached to Hamish, or any man for that matter. Her heart gave a small twinge at that revelation.

The trading company was expanding beyond her wildest hopes, and that meant she wasn't as important a member anymore. That didn't stop Lord Ascot from calling her over to his estate to hold private meetings with her: while she wasn't as integral to the company's survival, the Lord still saw fit to keep her in the loop.

Also, while her mother was unaware of it, Alice made a considerable sum of money with the company and she had been slowly transferring her savings to her mother over the past month. The bank _did_ find her behaviour a tad peculiar, but she insisted that she didn't need all the money. After all, she was pretty sure they didn't use currency in Underland, much less English pounds and shillings.

And Margaret…well, Margaret had since learned about Lowell's affair and dealt with it. While she was careful to trust him, she was still his wife. After all, he was the one who brought home all the money and the one who had a house. Margaret, and not to mention her two children, would end up on the streets if she publically divorced him. Not to mention the fact that divorce was looked down upon anyway. No, Margaret was as well off as she ever would be, and she was fine without Alice. While she would miss her nieces, Alice knew she could return to Underland without any feelings of guilt on their behalf.

Those thoughts comforted her as she crept quietly over to her bed and crawled beneath the covers. While it was mid-July, the air was still a bit chilly at night. Alice curled up into a ball as she found just how thin her nightdress was. Her mother insisted she wear it like a proper woman, no matter if her daughter thought it was far too thin. Alice responded by piling the blankets upon her bed and burrowing into them like a mole. It may be strange behaviour, but at least she was no longer freezing.

She was now facing the end of her room, and she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror that stood in the back corner. It was one of the sparse belongings that were in her bedroom: the only other pieces of furniture were a dresser placed along the side wall, a nightstand beside her bed and her closet in another corner.

The piece of furniture in question had been stuffed with fancy dresses and corsets Alice knew she would never wear, at least not willingly. In the back of it she had hidden her favourite blue dress, which was now free of wrinkles and dirt. It hung there as a reminder that she hadn't dreamed up any of Underland.

The only other indication she had that all she had seen there was real were the light scars on her right arm, leftovers from her first encounter with the Bandersnatch.

That, and the vivid dreams she constantly had of bright green eyes and a mad smile.

"I'm coming," she whispered to her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes slid shut, but not before she saw the most curious thing go by her mirror. She could have sworn she saw a white rabbit in a waistcoat walk through the glass panel and shake its head at her before passing on out of the frame.

Alice didn't give it a second thought as she drifted off to sleep.

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**AN**: There you go. Let me know if you want me to update on Sunday/Monday, because I'm all for it if you are.

Read and Review!


	5. Some Terrible News

**AN**: Well, as promised, here's the fifth chapter! I'll update again later in the week. And keep those reviews coming! Thanks goes to_ **Bloody Midnight **_(here's the update!), **_FinalFallenFantasy_** (I was aiming for the story- the parts of it that are based in England- to be as historically accurate as possible; it makes more sense that way), _**meta sythe **_(as per your request- the fifth chapter!), _**Daughter of Horus **_(thanks, I just started writing this recently so you're not that far behind :P),**_ X. Buffy Lurves Spike.X_** (thanks a lot- I was worried that Lord Ascot wouldn't turn out right, but apparently I was wrong) and **_AdriRin_** (your reviews have been great and don't worry, Hatter is coming soon) for leaving such great reviews! I'll cut this author's note short now and let you read the chapter!

Disclaimer: Jeez, I own nothing. Except Lady Silverai, for all the five seconds she appears in the story.

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Nivens McTwisp hopped as fast as he could back through the hallways of the White Queen's castle. It was a pity that the looking glass was situated in one of the lesser-known rooms at Marmoreal, but it was the only way to keep its existence a secret. It was a plan that failed in most respects, as it was known that nearly everyone had walked by it on more than one occasion. Still, the only way to control the amount of people that passed through the enchanted glass was to keep it relatively hidden.

This was why the poor rabbit was nearly out of breath as he entered the Great Hall, and he paused to check his watch before he came upon the crowds of nobles and the court of the White Queen. It wouldn't do for him to be late again, as he knew all too well. The Queen had tasked him with travelling through the looking glass while Alice was away, and he hadn't had much to report of over the last few weeks.

She had mysteriously disappeared from the "Otherworld" as they called it two years prior, which had given all of the strange world's residents a shock. Someone had also taken the liberty to cover the mirror with some sort of cloth, effectively blocking all access Underland had to the Otherworld. No one would be able to travel through the glass until it was uncovered; it was temperamental that way. One would get stuck behind the material that covered the mirror, which acted as a barrier to the Otherworld.

That was the way the looking glass remained, until a month ago when the cloth had been thrown back and Nivens had revealed that Alice had returned once again. While they did not know the reason for her sudden departure, all of Underland was ecstatic to see their champion back within travelling distance of Underland.

Even if it meant that she still wasn't in Underland itself.

Nivens had journeyed through the glass diligently, and didn't let himself rest until Alice came in her room for the night. Even though the properties of the glass were such that anyone, with enough concentration, should be able to transport themselves from one side of the glass to another, it had a notorious temper. Sometimes it was so cross that all Nivens was able to do was get halfway between the two; caught between Underland and the Otherworld. He would appear as a mere reflection on the mirror in Alice's room; neither there nor here.

That was the way Nivens had appeared to her that night in her mirror; a strange illusion that certainly couldn't be real but indeed was. His brief trip was enough to notice that Alice seemed saddened and she would take to mumbling the same thing to herself over and over again. They were the same words she had said before downing the Jabberwocky blood and disappearing from their world. That meant she had not forgotten about Underland, but she didn't seem very happy either.

Underland's champion was fading.

The White Rabbit had also heard tell of a certain dinner party to be held at the house by the hole that Alice had a habit of falling down. If Alice had indeed retained her memory as he thought, then Nivens knew undoubtedly that she would attempt to return to Underland. It seemed logical enough of a plan, but there was one little problem with it.

The rabbit hole had disappeared.

This was what drove Nivens into a panic as he stood at the back of the Great Hall, and he checked his watch again out of habit before hopping off to the Queen. He wove between the crowds of nobles and members of the court, who cleared a space for him to get to the Queen quicker.

Mirana turned from talking to the Tweedle brothers, who had started to bicker again. She spotted Nivens and knelt down to talk to him as she gave him a warm smile. Her hands were still held up in the air daintily, as if they couldn't move otherwise. She bowed her head to him as she began to speak.

"Nivens, my dear friend," she addressed the panting rabbit. "Do you have news of the looking glass?"

"Yes, my Queen," he answered. "But it isn't all good." He pulled at his whiskers frantically, and for a second he looked as mad as Thackery. Nivens was normally very composed, with only a slight history of fainting. Then again, that was during the Red Queen's reign, so anything bothering him that much _now_ was cause for alarm. The rule of the White Queen had gone smoothly thus far; the only problem was that a certain champion had not yet returned.

Mirana frowned as she grasped his paws in her hands. "Should we discuss this in private?" her eyes searched the rabbits'.

Nivens nodded his head in relief as he looked at the Queen. "That might be for the best, your Grace. We don't want people frightened by the news. There's barely enough hope in some as it is." He lowered his voice as he said this last bit, his head twitching around to see who was standing near them.

"Tarrant isn't here Nivens, if that is who you're looking for," Mirana frowned sadly.

The hatter to the Queen had since made amends with Time, which allowed him to walk the roads of Underland with more freedom than before. He had a habit of wandering aimlessly about and missing his tea, to which Mallymkun responded with anger tinged by sadness. While Mirana had offered him a room at the castle, he politely declined her offer. He preferred to stay where he always had lived, but he was seldom there. Even Thackery, who had opted to stay in the castle and cook, had noticed the change in the Hatter's demeanour since Alice had left.

"It's probably for the best that he isn't here," the White Rabbit whispered. "Or he'd have wrung my ears out by now asking for information about _her_."

"Most likely," Mirana murmured. "But come Nivens, I know of a room where we can speak of this in private." Apologizing to the Tweedles she stood up, smoothing her dress out before turning to walk out of the Great Hall. She once again held her hands delicately in the air as she glided away. She had no intention of being interrupted as she made her way out of the room, but apparently Fate had a different idea. It had been awfully annoying as of late, poking its nose into other people's business without so much as an apology.

This time Fate took the form of a cat's head which materialized out of thin air. It grinned down at Nivens, who gave a gasp of shock despite knowing who the head belonged to. Chessur never was one to announce his entrances.

"Well, would you look at what the looking glass dragged in," he purred, rolling his head around to the rabbit's other side. "How was your time in the Otherworld? Did you say hello to Alice?"

"Chessur," the Queen said, answering for Nivens, who seemed rather speechless at the moment. "This is no laughing matter. Alice is in some level of danger at this moment, and Nivens and I have something to discuss concerning her return to Underland." She hadn't turned around to answer the cat, but she focused instead in front of her as she slowly exited the room. Mirana was quick to keep an airy demeanour around her. She didn't want to accidentally alert anyone to a nonexistent problem. Better to keep the public in a safe state of mind for the moment. They could panic later.

A side door appeared in their line of sight, and Mirana made directly for it. Out of the corner of her eye however, she spotted trouble. One member of court was approaching Mirana and her party, and as she opened her mouth to ask a question Chessur disappeared until his grinning mouth was left hanging in the air. He was going to enjoy this.

Mirana sighed inwardly. She had high hopes that no one else, aside from Chessur, would appear to disturb them from their exit. She had wanted to make it out of the Great Hall as quietly as possible, but the world seemed to be conspiring against her right now.

"My Queen, is everything alright? Why are you leaving the court early?"

"I am fine, Lady Silverai. I have some business matters to discuss with McTwisp," she indicated the rabbit beside her. "I need to speak with him privately."

Lady Silverai bobbed her head. "Of course, your Majesty. Shall I inform the other members of court of your absence?"

Mirana shook her head. "No, thank you. I think it's better if we keep it quiet for now. I shan't be long." At least, she hoped she wouldn't. This matter concerning the champion of Underland might take longer than first anticipated.

As the noblewoman nodded her head and turned away reluctantly, Chessur appeared at Mirana's shoulder. "That _definitely_ won't send the court into a frenzy of curiousity. Telling them the truth would have been much better."

"Would it, Chessur?" the White Queen asked. "I have a kingdom to watch over, and I don't want anyone panicking until I know fully what is going on." Which she didn't, come to think of it. Nivens had been vague about what was happening with Alice, but one thing was very clear to her as she reached the door and opened it right when Chessur disappeared again.

Alice was in trouble, and she was going to need help if she wanted to return to Underland.

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**AN**: Read and review, people! And fear not, the Hatter appears _very_ soon. And he's none too pleased at Nivens' news, that much I'll let you know.


	6. Nothing More

**AN**: Thanks to all who reviewed! Because of you I've decided to update early. Special mention goes to: _**SesshiraRayu**_ (here's another chapter!), _**meta sythe **_(Hatter's in the next chapter, I promise! And hey, I may just put it up today...annd I'll take a chocolate peanut butter cookie, if that's possible :P) and _**CameoRuby**_ (Yeah, it has to be the accent. I always seem to swoon whenever I hear a man speak with an accent- whether British, Australian, Scottish, etc. And Hatter pulls out the accent next chapter!) And an apology goes out to _**X. Buffy Lurves Spike .X**_. For some reason the doc manager didn't like me putting your name in, thus why it was cut off. Let's hope it works this time!

PS- Let's see if we can make it to 20 reviews, because that would be awesome!

Disclaimer: I own nothing *frowns* Tim Burton, Disney and Lewis Carroll do.

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"_No one could accurately understand just how drab dinner parties are until they are at one themselves_," Alice thought as she wandered around the Ascots' well-manicured garden.

She had managed to escape the festivities for the moment and had opted to walk unaccompanied, much to the chagrin of her mother. That horror as well as the fact that Alice had once again decided to go without a corset or stockings threatened the reconciliation that she had just made with her mother. Helen and her daughter had made slight amends to their argument a few days ago, but they were still at odds with one another. One wrong word could topple the temporary peace that Alice had painstakingly created.

She turned a corner in the path to come upon bed after bed of red roses. Alice couldn't help but smile to herself. She could remember the day that she and Lady Ascot had walked by these same gardens, but the roses were white instead. With a frown she decided that she liked the old flowers better: red roses made her think of a rather unpleasant woman with a large head.

She bent down to make it seem as if she smelt the roses when instead she began to talk to them. "I liked you much better when you weren't red. Red's a ghastly colour, come to think of it." She paused in consideration. "Yes, white seems much better." She straightened up and decided as an afterthought that it was probably a good thing that flowers here couldn't talk.

Dinner had ended a half hour ago, and it had been a boring affair to say the least. Hamish's fiancée was the perfect image of English propriety: well-mannered, soft-spoken and knowledgeable of all the etiquette that Alice's nanny hadn't managed to ingrain into her subconscious with all the might of the world. To be completely honest, Alice found her as bland as her husband-to-be. Hopefully she wouldn't be put off by his digestion problems.

"They probably deserve each other," Alice mumbled. "They're both perfectly-"

"Talking to yourself again, Alice?" a rather high-pitched voice asked.

Alice spun around in shock to see the Chataway sisters standing arm in arm and grinning widely. How they could have managed to sneak up on her was a marvel; anyone could hear them approach from a mile away. It seemed Faith and Fiona never knew when to stop talking. Apparently they had been eerily silent, for now they stood in front of Alice, wearing matching dresses and bonnets and looking for the entire world like a pair of cats toying with a helpless mouse.

"I wasn't aware that you had taken up eavesdropping. That's a very unladylike thing to do, you know." Alice really did not want to talk to them at the moment, although they were better than Hamish or Lowell. No, she would not have been able to keep a civil tongue around either of them, and Alice would have gotten a box to the ears for her comments. Even if they were entirely true.

"Not as unladylike as you talking to yourself," Fiona, or Faith giggled. Alice could never tell them apart. "Some would think you've gone mad."

_Mad…_Of course! How could she have forgotten what she came out to the gardens for? She was heading to the rabbit hole before it turned dark. Before either of the sisters could react Alice had spun on her heel and ran as fast as she could out of the garden. She heard a gasp behind her but she no longer cared. All that mattered to her was getting back to Underland, before anyone noticed she was gone. She would have liked to go unnoticed, but the Chataways would have to shut their mouths. It wasn't a likely thing, but it was the only hope Alice had. If that failed, she was sure that Lord Ascot would set everything straight.

"_He'd probably say I'd eloped, never to return,"_ Alice thought with a hint of a smile as she barreled through the garden path. She hiked up her skirt and ran faster as she came upon the forest proper. The sound of gravel crunching under her boots was replaced with the soft thud of heels meeting grassy land as she ran with all her might to the rabbit hole. The tree…where was the tree?

There it is. Alice ran up the remainder of the hill and began to grin widely as she neared the hole that would bring her back to Underland. One more step, and… She paused as she walked around the old tree. Her brain shut down as she stared at the ground and it completely refused to process what she was seeing in front of her.

The rabbit hole was gone.

It was completely filled in and there was a pile of dirt where it used to be. It had been packed so tightly Alice knew she would never be able to shovel it all out. Grass had even begun to cover it up and in a few weeks it would be barely visible. She fell to her knees in disbelief as her brain caught up with her eyes.

"No…" she murmured. "No, it has to be here! I have to go back, it can't be…" her eyes glazed over as she felt the hard ground where the hole used to lie. If she couldn't go down the hole, then…

She couldn't return to Underland.

Alice stayed at the tree for half an hour. She couldn't bring herself to stand; her legs suddenly felt like they were made of lead. The sun set slowly over the horizon as she rocked back and forth, running her fingers over the Bandersnatch scars. She sat by the hole, crying freely and murmuring the same words over and over again.

"It was just a dream and nothing more."

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**AN**: This is the saddest the story gets for awhile, so don't worry. The next chapter I just wrote yesterday, because I felt there was a gap that needed to be filled. And guess where it takes place??

Read and review, please! Alerts and favourites are great, but I'd love it even more if you'd review as well!


	7. A Plan is Made

**AN**: Annnd we're back in Underland! And a certain Hatter appears in this chapter. I was so worried about putting him in, because I was afraid I wouldn't write him correctly. Hope I did the accent right.

Disclaimer: I. Own. Nothing.

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Mirana frowned as her forehead creased slightly.

The news that Nivens had given her was indeed as bad as she had first thought. If what he had said was true, then Alice could not return to Underland in the usual manner. And that meant she would have to find another way.

Luckily for her Champion, the looking glass was her other option.

Even though Mirana had a plan figured out, there was just one tiny little problem with it: she had no idea how to find Alice. Sure, someone could go through the looking glass, but after that it was anyone's guess as to where she might be.

While Nivens had been able to tell her that Alice would be at a dinner party in three days, no one knew how to get there, much less locate where Alice was at this party. It would seem their situation was hopeless. Mirana frowned even deeper at that thought: Underland needed their Champion back. If Alice wanted to return, then there must be some way of securing her homecoming. While she was still in thought, McTwisp twitched his ears at some sound behind him.

Someone was running toward the room.

As the sound grew louder, Mirana was jolted out of her reverie. She glanced up at Nivens, who gave her a small shake of his head. He had no idea who could be coming to interrupt them; no one knew where they were, apart from Lady Silverai and-

Chessur.

He had disappeared right before Mirana had left the Great Hall. He could have followed them without their notice, and then he could have left just as discreetly. He could have been listening in on their conversation, or he could have been warning someone of their conference.

Someone who was running very quickly to them right now.

Nivens barely had time to gasp in shock before the door to Mirana's private meeting room was thrown open. The White Rabbit twitched and his legs carried him to the Queen's side. He was carefully tucked out of sight of the newcomer, as Mirana had been seated at an elegant white desk whilst in conversation with him.

While Nivens cowered in shock from where he sat, Mirana turned her head to give whoever had entered the room her full attention. She watched as a hat came floating into the room, followed by very loud footsteps. Tarrant was undoubtedly chasing a certain feline to retrieve his beloved hat.

Her mouth nearly curled up into a smile. Leave it to Chessur to lead Tarrant back here. It was a good thing too; it would be better for him to hear the news from the Queen instead of wringing it out of the poor White Rabbit later. Nivens had enough shock put on him without adding the Hatter's mad disposition to the mix.

She watched as the hat came floating down onto her desk with a flourish before Chessur's head reappeared beside it. He grinned sideways at Mirana before fully materializing and lying down on her desk. He gave one flick of his tail and watched carefully to see what Tarrant's reaction would be upon entering the room.

The Hatter's voice permeated the meeting room far before he actually entered it. "Ye bloody excuse fer a cat! If I don' get tha' ha' back _now_, I'll skin ye alive!"

Chessur barely suppressed a chuckle as he watched Tarrant skid into the room. He barely missed hitting the door as he caught sight of the guilty cat and began to storm up to it. His eyes were coloured a deep orange and they narrowed as he glared at Chessur. Just as he was about to come within throttling distance, the Cheshire cat spoke.

"Well, my work here is done. I'd best be going." He grinned once more at Tarrant before disappearing, his smile hanging in the air for a second before it too vanished.

Tarrant looked like he was going to fly off the handle at any moment as he tried to comprehend that Chessur had just left. His eyes darted from the hat to the Queen, and then he did a double take.

"Yes Tarrant, I am indeed here," Mirana stated, frowning a little.

"Your Majesty," he squeaked. "Your Grace, your Eminence, I had no idea that you were in this room. I am ever so sorry..."

Mirana waited for his eyes to slowly morph back to their original green before speaking again. "It is alright Tarrant. But perhaps you should take a seat. There are more pressing matters at hand right now that you must know about." She gestured to the other chair in the room that had been placed across from the desk. Tarrant slowly sat down and he kept fidgeting with his hands. His eyes never left the hat that now sat between him and Mirana.

"Tarrant, Nivens has come to me with news about our Champion."

The Hatter completely ignored his hat to glance up at the Queen. "News about…Alice?"

But it couldn't be true. She had gone back to the Otherworld for good. She had said she would come back, but it was a lie. It had all been a lie. Alice had forgotten about him; about Underland itself. What news could the Queen possibly have?

Mirana gave one look to the White Rabbit cowering beside her before speaking to Tarrant again. "Yes, news about Alice. It would seem she wishes to return to Underland, but there is one problem with that: the rabbit hole has disappeared. She can no longer return in that manner."

The Hatter's eyes turned from green to a dark grey. "She can't return. I knew it. Dark, desperate, denial, derelict-"

"Tarrant," Mirana cut him off. "There will be no talk of such grave things. The rabbit hole is not the only way to reach the Otherworld, if you remember. Nivens has been keeping an eye on Alice with the help of the looking glass."

"The…looking…glass…" Tarrant said, as if unable to believe what he heard. "But…no, that thing is useless. It has such a temper on it, and it rarely works when you want it to. Moreover, if Alice was to return she would be back already, but she isn't. Tea is terribly lonely, you know. And lonely tea is never a-"

"But she _is_ trying to come back, Tarrant. But should she find the rabbit hole is no longer there, I fear our Champion will lose all hope. She needs help if she is to return."

"Aye? And whose help d' you reckon she needs?" Tarrant asked, his sadness clouded by a sudden rush of anger. His orange eyes focussed on the hat in front of him. Memories of Chessur toying with the top hat were going through his head. It was such a lovely- he suddenly remembered Alice sitting atop that very hat as they travelled to Marmoreal.

That thought was enough for him to freeze. His anger suddenly left him and he felt ashamed of his actions. "Sorry, my Queen," he muttered. "I…I just feel so drawn out, so old and so very, _very_ lonesome lately."

Mirana smiled slightly. "I know, my friend. I have been feeling the same way. But I think I know of a way to remedy that."

The Hatter glanced at her again, uncertainty in his gaze. "How, my Queen? No amount of pishsalver or upelkuchen or even _tea_ could make this situation better."

Mirana's smile widened as she leaned forward to pick up Tarrant's hat. Handing it to him, she said, "Why don't _you_ retrieve our Champion? I think it is time she returned to Underland."

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**AN**: So this was a double update for me today. I'll add another chapter on Friday, as it's a short week for me.

Read and review, in case you didn't know. :)


	8. Impossible

**AN**: So, here's the long-awaited (I hope) chapter to my story. Thanks to all who reviewed and got the count up to 26! Special mention goes to the following:

_**KThxBai**_- glad you like the story so far!

_**Final**_**_FallenFantasy_**- I know, I hate it when computers do that. Hatter is plenty adorable for this story, but you have to watch out when he gets angry...And we'll see what happens when Hatter sees the Chataways. It'll be good.

**_Anastasia Snape_**- Here's another chapter!

_**meta sythe**_- Yup, you're the 18th alright. And Hatter shows up again in this chapter, but not in Underland...

_**CaptainBillyTheWerewolf**_- Thanks, I'm glad you took the time to read it! Hope you like this chapter.

_**darkbangle**_- Here's the update! And Hatter's about to see the Otherworld for himself :)

**_SesshiraRayu_**- How's another chapter sound? I may even update tomorrow... :D

_**scriptsneezer**_- I'm so happy you like this story so much! :) Melancholy and madness, I like that. Hope this chapter is just as good!

_**CameoRuby**- _Accent spot on? Alright! Yup, the one before is the last sad one for awhile, I think.

**_the-ice-cold-alchemist_**- Thanks, and here's the next chapter!

_**AdriRin**_- Double updates are the best, aren't they? Yep, Tarrant's gone to fetch Alice! :D

_**kyokoaurora**_- Thanks, and glad you like it!

That was the longest author's note yet. But keep the reviews coming, people! I love reading what you have to say. And let's see if we can get it to 40 reviews this time. Who's up for the challenge?

Disclaimer: Phew, I own nothing. Credit goes to Tim Burton and Disney as well as Lewis Carroll.

_

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_

_I certainly hope that you are happy  
With your new change of company  
Surrounded by your enemies_

- the Eames Era, _Could be Anything_

She wiped her eyes hastily before walking out of the garden and back to the crowds of people gathered to wish Hamish and his fiancée their best. She didn't want people to think her strange. After all, what respectable woman ran around a forest and muddied her dress only to burst out crying? Surely they would think she had gone round the bend. Straightening her dress the finest she could and knowing full well it did nothing to better her appearance; she stepped back into the hordes of English nobles.

Several women gasped when they saw her and one actually fainted on the spot. She barely acknowledged them as she slowly made her way up to the only man she wished to speak with at the moment. Murmured sentences began to float in the air and several people openly stared at her. While there were several lamps placed about the lawn to illuminate it, Alice felt sure they were all trained on her as the burning feeling on her face surely could not be shame.

Alice should have been ashamed of how she looked right now, and she was sure her mother would be appalled at her. In fact, she could almost see any strands of dignity the Kingsleighs have snap at that moment. Her family would be buried in scandal a mile deep.

Alice found that she cared less.

That was why, when she walked up to Lord Ascot, she found she had no worries at all about her appearance. She had looked worse when she was on the ship to China. Being seasick half of the time made a person look absolutely ghastly. In hindsight, that was probably the reason some of the crew had avoided her. If Alice had been in any other situation then, she would have laughed.

That is, if it weren't for the fact she was walking up to her employer looking less like a lady and more like a creature from the woods. That would have accounted for the Lord's look of confusion when the man he was talking to cleared his throat and motioned behind him. When he turned around his eyes widened slightly.

"Alice dear, are you alright?"

She must have been a sight to behold, with her sweaty face and muddy dress. Her hair had fallen out of its tight braid and was now plastered over her face, clinging to her back. She was out of breath and panting slightly, and as she looked up at the Lord with bloodshot eyes her expression must have given away her desperation.

"Alice, what ever is the matter? You look like, well, I'm not quite sure…" Lord Ascot paused. "What happened to you? The Chataways said you ran off."

"Yes, yes, that's quite right," Faith said as she and her sister pushed their way through the crowd to stand behind Lord Ascot.

"You ran off in quite the hurry, Alice," Fiona finished for her sister. Both were wearing matching grins and for a second Alice could have sworn she saw the Tweedles standing there. The vision was gone in another second, and Alice shook her head slightly to bring herself back to reality.

Alice turned her head from the sisters to her employer. She tried to control her breathing but she was still short of air. "Lord…Ascot. The rabbit hole on your…property. What has happened to it?"

The Lord thought for a moment. "Oh, that wretched thing? It's been there for years; the pesky rabbits refused to leave. I had it filled in last month. It was a hazard to people. Someone might have fallen in it."

All the sound was crashing around Alice's ears. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. The rabbit hole had been there since she was a little girl, since she had first travelled to Underland. Lord Ascot was surely joking; he couldn't have blocked off her only way to the strange land. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would have thought him touched in the head. She had always thought the rabbit hole was eternal, that it could never truly disappear.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Lord Ascot call her name again in worry. He had seen a shadow fall across her eyes as he had spoken to her. He knew something was wrong, but why it had to do with the rabbit hole he had no idea.

"Alice? Miss Kingsleigh?"

She looked up at the Lord with something akin to fear and loss. He wouldn't understand, no one would understand at all…Only her father would, and he wasn't in the realm of the living any longer. Alice had the sudden urge to tell Lord Ascot everything; of her two trips to Underland, of the life she wanted to have there, all of it. Fear held her back, though. Fear of being ridiculed and publicly shamed, of being locked up in an asylum where nothing could harm her but her thoughts.

She shook her head apologetically at Lord Ascot, but with the way she looked, she might as well have been a half-starved dog that had been deprived of its favourite bone. Without Underland she would surely go mad here in this ordinary world that had no consideration for the ramblings of a young woman.

Alice began to back away from the bright light and the ever-growing murmurings of gossiping ladies. Lord Ascot opened his mouth to speak, but then he looked above Alice's shoulder and he seemed doubly confused. The Chataways looked positively scandalized as both of their mouths opened at the same moment. The young woman had no time to ponder this as her exit was interrupted by the arrival of something solid behind her. She paused and gave a quick glace over her shoulder.

All she saw was a bit of orange hair, so she wasn't sure why Lord Ascot seemed stunned speechless by his own son. "Terribly sorry, Hamish," Alice croaked. Her throat was still rough from crying. "I didn't mean to run into you."

"No harm done," a masculine voice replied. "Although my name isn't Hamish. If it were then I suppose I've been calling myself the wrong name my entire life, which is rather odd, come to think of it. If I don't even know my own name, then who's to say what is right or wrong? But I am certain that it _isn't _Hamish. It's a rather ill-fitting name-"

Alice's heart skipped a beat. She knew who that voice belonged to, and it certainly wasn't Hamish. But he was supposed to be in Underland, and the rabbit hole was blocked, so how could he be there? She whipped around to look up at the man who she had bumped into.

"_Hatter?"_

He looked down at her. "Oh Alice, it _is_ you. It was hard to tell; you look rather muddy at the moment." His green eyes flashed wickedly as his mouth curled up into a grin. "I think it's time you came home, don't you?"

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**AN**: What do you think? I'm gonna post the next chapter later on tonight, once I edit it. How will everyone react to Tarrant appearing at the party?

Read and review, please! You people have been amazing so far. :)


	9. Only If You Believe It Is

**AN:** Let me begin by saying how truly awesome all of my reviewers have been! I believe the count is up to 42 now :) I would mention you all personally, but that would make for an author's note a mile long (and that's a good thing). So instead, I will list off all of the lovely people who reviewed the last chapter. Thanks goes to: _**Berenice63, FinalFallenFantasy, darkbangle, featherdusterpixie, Julie Christine Sparrow, sailormoon456, the-ice-cold-alchemist, sweetandlow1012, TheSwannsSparrow, AdriRin, Jasper's Future Wife, KThxBai, CameoRuby, meta sythe, Anastaia Snape **_and _**The Witch of the Souls.**_

Thanks to all who have been with this story since it started, and a hearty welcome goes to the new readers!! All of your feedback has made me so happy. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations (it's one of my favourites). Let's see if we can make the review count hit 60, hm?

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Credit goes to Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll.

Now, on with the show!

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_Who's to say_  
_ What's impossible_  
_ Well they forgot_  
_ This world keeps spinning_  
_ And with each new day_  
_ I can feel a change in everything_  
_ And as the surface breaks reflections fade_  
_ But in some ways they remain the same_  
_ And as my mind begins to spread its wings_  
_ There's no stopping curiosity_

- Jack Johnson, _Upside Down_

Alice was struck absolutely speechless.

She stood in front of the Mad Hatter himself and she had no idea what to say. It wasn't as if her mouth was working properly anyway; it seemed to be once again disconnected from her brain. She didn't appear to be the only one mixed up at the moment. The entire crowd of people on the Ascots' lawn had grown silent at the sudden appearance of a man who had not been invited to the rather private dinner party. Some stared openly at him while others covered their mouths to hide their shock. Even though they did not know who the strange-looking man was, they could see that he knew who Alice was.

And that certainly _was_ odd. Alice had rejected any and all suitors that her mother sent for, so how a man who looked completely unrelated to her knew her _that_ well was a marvel. The only man she ever associated with was her employer, who looked like a fish out of water at the moment.

Lord Ascot was the first to recover from his shock. He walked up beside the still-silent Alice and placed one hand on her shoulder. She didn't stir from her reverie, though. Her eyes were still glued on the man in front of her. The Lord looked over the man who had addressed Alice like an old friend. Then again…but no, it couldn't be _that_ man. Could it?

"Excuse me, sir. But would you mind telling me how in the world you got into this party?" he didn't want to offend the man, but he was still uncertain as to how he got there.

"Oh, I'm awfully sorry about interrupting this…party," Tarrant looked around the crowd of half-fainting ladies and appalled gentlemen. This was certainly the dullest party he had ever seen. Why was no one dancing or singing and where in the world was the tea and music? He re-focused to the man in front of him, who still had a hand laid gently on Alice's shoulder. He seemed protective of her, but as he knew her father was no longer alive, he had no idea who the man was. An uncle, maybe? "But, you see, I simply _had_ to see Alice. There's a rather pressing matter right now that requires her utmost attention, which she can't give if she's here. So I'll need to borrow her, if you don't mind."

"_Borrow_ her?" a woman's voice piped up before Lord Ascot could get a word in. Helen Kingsleigh pushed her way through the stunned crowd to the clearing that had been made by people backing away from the newcomer.

Alice thought for a moment that she was quite lucky Margaret and Lowell hadn't been able to make it to the party. It was enough to try and convince her mother that the Hatter wasn't _that_ mad; her sister and her husband would have been a completely different matter.

"And just who do you think you are? You can't come barging in on private dinner parties and just ask to take my daughter with you!" Helen looked positively scandalized.

"Actually, he can," Alice stated rather matter-of-factly. Lord Ascot's hand on her shoulder had finally managed to jolt her from her prolonged stare at Hatter and now she turned to face her irate mother. Lord Ascot stepped back from her, but not out of fear. If Alice had looked, she would have seen a mischievous gleam in his eye that meant he was going to enjoy what happened next.

Helen seemed to twitch slightly as her daughter openly defied her. "What is the meaning of this impudence, young lady? I shall not allow you to go with this, this _ruffian_!"

"Mother," Alice said as quietly as she could. She could let the Hatter speak for himself, but he seemed to be letting her take the reins for the moment. "I am no longer a child; I will be twenty-three next month. I am an independent woman capable of making decisions for myself. And my decision is to go with this _ruffian_, whether you approve of it or not." She turned from her spluttering mother to her employer.

Lord Ascot smiled at her knowingly, glancing back at the Hatter before looking back at her. "I take it this is the man you were telling me about?"

Alice grinned shyly back at him. "Yes, this is he." She stepped back to allow the two men to face one another. "Lord Ascot, this is-"

"Tarrant Hightopp," the Underlandian said, reaching across to shake the Lord's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I can see that you care for Alice and I tip my hat to you for keeping her safe all this time." He stopped shaking Lord Ascot's hand to reach back and actually touch the brim of his top hat.

"And the thanks goes to you as well, ma'am," He acknowledged Helen, who had frozen in place at Alice's rebuke. She now regarded the man with wavering shock. "Being her mother, I can see that you took mind to how your daughter was raised, and I'm sure you're proud of her. Because if you weren't, then I have no idea who _would_ be. If someone's mother isn't content with the way their children have lived their lives, then it is a very sad life indeed, and I cannot _fathom_-"

"Hatter," Alice mumbled, keeping a smile in place. It wouldn't do for him to lose it here, of all places. Everyone was already shocked enough by this newcomer, and they didn't need to know he was mad to boot.

"I'm fine," he croaked. He cleared his throat quietly, the hint of orange gone from his eyes.

"Mother," Alice said, backing up to stand beside Tarrant. "I have every intention of going with this man, and all I want is for you to be happy for me. I know I've been a troublesome child, but I promise I won't bother you anymore." She now realized where she belonged, and that wasn't in England. All of the rules, the etiquette, everything made her miss Underland even more. Standing now with Tarrant at her side just felt so…right. As if all the world fell into place with that one simple action.

"But…Alice…" her mother spluttered. She seemed less in shock now, at least enough to regain the use of her voice. "I don't understand."

"Yes Alice, do explain," Faith or Fiona Chataway said rather petulantly. They had finally rid themselves of their laryngitis and chose this moment to speak up. They still looked shell-shocked at the Hatter, but that didn't stop them from interjecting.

"Faith, Fiona," Alice said with a hint of a smile on her face. They did ever so remind her of the Tweedles at that moment. Apparently Hatter thought so too, for he stirred from beside her and began to speak.

"You know, you two remind me of a couple of very dear friends of mine. Well, not so much friends as boys because, you see, they both wear matching clothes, much like you do. But they're much more, well, _muchier _than you two. You seem rather dull under that bright exterior-"

Before Alice could intervene, one of the sisters that weren't too shocked at this statement opened her mouth to speak.

"How dare you! Our clothes aren't _that_ bright compared to yours!" Faith pointed an accusing finger in Hatter's direction.

Alice looked between the three of them and had to concede that the sisters were right. The Hatter stood out like a…well, like a madman amongst English propriety. And that was putting it lightly: Tarrant hadn't changed his outfit at all for the trip to the Otherworld. His clothes shone with an almost unearthly brightness and Alice somehow knew that she would never be able to find fabric that vivid there in England.

"Hatter," Alice said softly as he was undoubtedly about to give the Chataways a lengthy lecture on fabrics. Tarrant closed his mouth and turned his brilliant green eyes on her. She smiled at him before turning back to Faith and Fiona.

"You're right, you know. His clothes _are_ brighter than yours. Much brighter. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not the one who has some _explaining_ to do," Alice quirked her eyebrows at the sisters.

Faith and Fiona immediately flushed at that comment and they widened their eyes in utter embarrassment. They had hoped Alice had forgotten that encounter they'd had in the alley by the bakery a few weeks ago. However, it would take more than mere time for the young Champion to erase from her mind the sight of the twins as they were hiding in the alley, kissing the local butcher's sons. It was a chance encounter to be sure, but it wasn't one Alice was apt to forget.

And that way, she could keep the sisters in check. After all, they were to be married off soon at their mother's will. If she were to find out about _that_ incident, well…There was no telling how she would react, much less what everyone else would think of her daughters' indiscretions.

As the Chataways were thoroughly tongue-tied by now, they faded into the background of people as Helen Kingsleigh found her voice again. "Alice? I still don't…I mean, how could you…?"

Her daughter smiled in a rather melancholy way. She knew what she had to say, but the knowledge that it would hurt her mother held her back slightly. As if channelling her thoughts, Tarrant smiled his gap-toothed smile at her, silently giving her courage for the impossible.

"_Only if you believe it is."_

With that thought secured around her like a comforting blanket, Alice finally spoke. "Mother, I've always felt out of place here and you know it. I'm more like Father than you like to think. For some months now I've been planning my leave. I've even been transferring my money from the bank to you to make sure you don't become ruined. And with Lord Ascot's permission I will have him put my position in the company up for offer. That is, unless you still need me that badly?" Alice looked over at her employer.

Lord Ascot grinned widely, looking between her and Tarrant. "My dear, I couldn't stop you if I tried. You've always been headstrong that way."

Hatter, sensing the conversation was over, gently grabbed Alice's hand in his. "Well, we really must be going. It's been a pleasure meeting you all." He doffed his hat to the still-shocked crowd and began to turn away.

"Wait!" Helen Kingsleigh called out.

Tarrant paused mid-step, looking back at Alice's mother. The younger Kingsleigh woman also perked up from where she stood. What on earth Helen wanted to say was completely beyond her at this point.

"Whether you plan to marry my daughter or not," she said, seeming to come to terms with the strange man she had just met. "Will you promise me that you'll take care of her?"

Alice was dumbstruck. Anger, shock or outrage she had expected. She hadn't readied herself for this resignation that Helen now spoke with. It was unthinkable, unfathomable, un-

Tarrant beamed from where he stood. "My dear woman, I will make sure that your daughter will come to no harm while she is with me. I would never, _ever_, forgive myself if that should happen." He squeezed Alice's hand as if to confirm what he just said.

Helen looked infinitely relieved and nodded her head, seeming to accept Hatter's words as truth.

With that Tarrant and Alice slowly turned their backs on the English nobles and well-wishers and exited the party as quickly as possible. Alice was still numb to everything that was happening, from Tarrant's appearance to the life she had just walked away from. If this was all a dream…but it couldn't be, she decided. The Hatter's hand was too real in hers; she could feel the bandages that were wrapped around it as well as the thimbles placed on the tips of his fingers. There was no way she could dream this up; it was too bizarre, even by Underland's standards.

"What was that all about, my dear?" Lady Ascot asked her husband, having finally surfaced from greeting every person that had shown up at the party. She gazed out at the Hatter and Alice as they made their way from the party. "And who _exactly_ was that rather bizarre man? I don't recall inviting anyone like him to our son's party."

"That is my future son-in-law, if I'm not mistaken," Helen said breathlessly. How could she have been so blind before? She had set all of the seemingly perfect suitors after Alice, but instead she chose to run off with a man that seemed touched in the head. However senseless it seemed to everyone else, it was perfectly simple to Helen. Alice was right; there was indeed more of her father in her than she cared to acknowledge.

"Your…future…?" Lady Ascot spluttered. "You can't be serious, Helen! What of the repercussions? What will your other daughter and her family think? What will everyone think? Can you not see the sheer _scandal_ that this is putting you in?"

Helen barely concealed a sigh. Alice's disposition must be rubbing off on her because she suddenly found that she couldn't stand what Lord Ascot's wife was saying. Shooting her a mild glare and mentally preparing herself for the condemning words she was about to stutter out, Helen gathered the courage to speak her mind.

"Lady Ascot, I have never been more serious about anything in my life. Alice is my daughter, and while some of her actions have been questionable, she is still dear to me. I'm sure Margaret will come to support her sister eventually and to be quite honest it doesn't matter to me one whit what other people say about Alice's decision. I am her mother and I will stand by her, no matter what other people such as you think."

There it was. A verbal gunshot had just exploded in Lady Ascot's face and she had no idea how to react to it. Several expressions flitted across her face but it was outrage that decided to settle on it.

"Such radical thinking, Helen! You could be carted off for saying such things," Lady Ascot growled out, trying to keep her voice calm and controlled. Her husband on the other hand…Well, he was chuckling quietly to himself, having enjoyed this conversation thus far.

"Speaking of being carted off…" Helen turned away from the Ascots. "I'd better go and see where Imogene has wandered off to. No doubt she's still searching for that nonexistent prince. It was good talking to you both." With that she wove away through the crowd and was lost from sight.

"Mad, the lot of them," Lady Ascot muttered. "Each and every Kingsleigh is doomed to insanity."

"Oh, I don't think they're mad, dear," Lord Ascot said, still chuckling slightly. "I think they're the most brilliant of people."

Ignoring the glare his wife was now giving him, Lord Ascot walked away to make small talk with one of the nobles that were scattered around the garden. Grinding her teeth together, Lady Ascot too began to walk back to her crowd of guests. The Chataways had since vanished from sight, undoubtedly from their mother ushering them back home threatening to find out the meaning of what Alice said.

Just as Lady Ascot was about to strike up a conversation with a rather promising older couple her son appeared in front of her. He gave her a rather confused look as his fiancé trailed behind him demurely.

"Mother, who on _earth_ was that man with Miss Kingsleigh?"

* * *

"This is impossible," Alice murmured, echoing the words she had whispered to the very man she was walking beside as they readied themselves for battle not two years ago. None of this could possible be happening, but a familiar tug in her gut told her otherwise. She was with the Hatter. The Hatter was with her.

And they were going back to Underland.

"Only if you believe it is," Hatter replied, flashing a grin as they walked across the gravel drive and over to the carriages. The night sky lit their path and the moon shone brightly.

"But _how_, Hatter? How did you get here? The rabbit hole is blocked-"

"The rabbit hole is not the only way to get to Underland," Tarrant said, flagging down one of the carriage drivers, who hopped to attention. "There is a mirror in your room that is part of the looking glass. Nivens has used that for quite some time to travel back and forth from this world to Underland. And might I say this world is a great deal drabber than I first thought. Your parties aren't real parties at all; there's no tea, no music, no dancing, no-"

"Hatter," Alice said, breaking his tirade.

"Right, sorry," he apologized. "But that is how I came here, and I needed to fetch you. Or rather, the White Queen needed to fetch you. There's been a, well, development in Underland."

He stopped talking as the carriage driver ushered them into one of the wooden coaches. Alice told the driver they needed to return to the Kingsleigh estate and with a nod of his head the man ran off to the front of the coach. When Alice and Hatter had been properly situated, the carriage jerked to a start and began the long trek back to Alice's home.

"Hatter?" Alice ventured after he had been silent for awhile. "What has happened in Underland?" She was sure that since the White Queen had taken power, things in Underland should have returned to normal. Unless the Red Queen had escaped, but Hatter would have been much more on edge had that occurred. When he didn't respond, Alice tried something else. "…Tarrant?"

He seemed to snap out of a trance and he glanced across at her in fear. "I…I don't know, Alice. The White Queen said not to-" he didn't want to worry Alice, not once he had just found her again after two long and painful years. He wanted them to be happy right now, not worrying over something like this. Why couldn't she just wait until they returned to Underland? But he realized that was a hopeless fancy: Alice was too curious for her own good.

"Tarrant," Alice reached across to place a hand on his knee. He twitched at this motion, glancing at her with wide eyes. "Please, Tarrant. I must know."

Blast it all, he was never one to say no to her. How could he, when she was imploring him like that? It wasn't fair, what she was doing. Before his muddled mind could catch up with his mouth, he uttered the words that the White Queen had sworn him to keep secret until Alice was safe and sound in Marmoreal. His thick Outlandish brogue echoed in the carriage.

"It's the bloody Knave o' Hearts. He escaped 'is exile in the Outlands an' has now set out to destroy the Queen an' all she 'olds dear."

* * *

**AN**: The plot thickens? I hope everyone's reactions to the Hatter were what you wanted. It was a shame that Lowell wasn't there. Now _that_ would have been fun. And don't worry, you'll find out exactly how Tarrant got to the Otherworld. It'll make sense soon enough.

Oh, by the way, when I see that I have 60 (or more) reviews for this story, I'll update! How does that sound?

Read and review, people. But you already knew that, didn't you? :D


	10. Through the Looking Glass?

**AN**: There is no way I can thank you people enough! 60 reviews? I'm so happy you all let me know what you think of my little story. Now, for the immensely long list of reviewers: _**MoonbeamDancer, sarahbluerose13, CaptainBillyTheWerewolf, meta sythe, The Witch of the Souls, sweetandlow1012, .Blood., the-ice-cold-alchemist, Julie Christine Sparrow, sailormoon456, DaughterOfTheFifthHouse, Jennieleeb649, FinalFallenFantasy, SesshiraRayu, Warrior Priestess, twilight121, darkbangle, Tabbycat270 **_and _**wolfmoonxx02.**_ Phew. Seriously, all of you make my day every time I open up my email and see that I've received another review. It's great to hear from you all, and I hope to read plenty more reviews in the future.

This time I won't set a certain limit of reviews in order for me to update. I'll add another chapter on the weekend, or Friday if I get time. How does that sound? :D

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. Oh, except for Salward and Carlen. Well, I only own their names. The characters had kind of been invented by Carroll, but I put a new twist on them. See if you can figure out who they are. Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll own everything else. Oh, and the song I got the quote from belongs to 3Oh!3, as you can see.

Have I made a rhyme?

_

* * *

So follow me down _  
_Out of this town _  
_Girl you're moving way too slow. _  
_So follow me down, I'll show you around _  
_Theres a place we gotta go._

- 3Oh!3 (feat. Neon Hitch), _Follow me Down  
_

Alice had decided that the looking-glass was a rather poorly named object as she stood in front of it. Tarrant was off to her side, muttering something about parties and carriage rides and the fact that Alice's room was sadly devoid of hats. While he had seemed rather composed at the party, he was now starting to return to his old mad self. Alice didn't quite know what to think about that, but she decided it was better not to think at that moment. She instead stared at the mirror in front of her, which Tarrant had told her was part of the two magically linked mirrors that were called the looking-glass.

How it could have been there her entire life without her knowledge astounded her. Then again, she hadn't known what the mirror truly was; only that it was a rare family heirloom that had been passed down from generation to generation. Any magical properties the glass had were unknown to her.

Until recently, when a certain rabbit had been using it to keep an eye on her.

And then this night, when the Mad Hatter himself had come tumbling through the looking-glass and into her room unexpectedly. With a slightly muffled giggle Alice thought that it was rather lucky that she had been out of the room at the time Tarrant had stumbled into the Otherworld, as he called it. Had she been sleeping, or worse, _dressing_- Alice let a laugh escape her lips as a flush stole up her face.

It was a good thing that she had told Tarrant to wait outside her room whilst she changed into a clean dress. She had already washed her face and hair as best she could in the sink without taking an actual bath. Her favourite blue dress had been recovered from the depths of her closet and she now wore it, as well as a darker blue travelling coat.

The Hatter stirred her from her thoughts as she laughed to herself. "What's so amusing, Alice? I haven't said anything that resembles a joke, except maybe that bit about the carriages. That _was_ rather funny-"

"Tarrant," Alice chided while her face was still slightly pink. "I was just thinking how odd it would be for you, or anyone from Underland for that matter, to come tumbling into my room."

"Oh," he said simply. Then, with a look of realization on his face, he seemed to come to a brilliant conclusion of some sort. "Well, not just _anyone_ could travel through the looking-glass. The other part of it is in a secluded chamber deep within the White Queen's castle at Marmoreal. And it's guarded heavily. In fact, I believe the Bandersnatch to be watching over it from time to time."

Alice's face lit up in recognition. She had nearly forgotten about the strange creature that she had befriended in Underland. Hopefully he will have changed his disposition somewhat since she had left. The Bandersnatch normally let only Alice near it, and thus let no one near Alice but those she allowed. It was terribly protective that way.

"Ah, so you _do_ remember him," Tarrant said, his face twisting up in a grin. "You haven't lost your muchness this time." He observed Alice with something bordering on pride before turning his attention once again to the mirror in front of them. "Well, shall we go? I must warn you though; the first step is a rather frightening one."

Alice glanced between the mirror and the Hatter, uncertainty tainting her otherwise normal features. All of a sudden she was…scared. She had openly defied her mother in front of at least a hundred people, walked off with a madman and now she stood in front of an enchanted mirror with something holding her back. This was what she wanted, so why was she gazing at the looking-glass with such reservations?

Then it clicked. It was something that the Hatter had said…something about why he came to her world. She was frightened and angry that the Knave had escaped, but that wasn't what was at the forefront of her mind. The one bit of information that was troubling her was what Tarrant had said regarding why _exactly_ he had come to get her, aside from Stayne's escape.

The _White Queen_ had needed to get her back. No mention of the Hatter or anyone else, only of Mirana's need to have Underland's Champion back. That both stunned and scared her. Was she only important as to the safety and well-being of the strange world, and nothing else?

Was that what she was to everyone: a pawn in a game where she was viewed as the most powerful player, to be called upon only when needed and then thrown away once her job was done? Alice was tired enough of being played a fool in her world. She would not tolerate it in Underland as well.

Alice paused, looking between Tarrant and the looking-glass. Making up her mind she shook her head slightly and stepped back and away from the mirror. With one movement she sat down on her bed and folded her arms across her chest in a very childlike way.

"No, Hatter. I'm not going until I get some answers." Her voice was barely above a whisper but the Hatter flinched as if she had shouted.

A-Alice, I don't think we have time for this…" His unsure gaze swept around the room, but never once did it land on her.

Alice shook her head again. "No, Tarrant. There's something I have to know first before I go back. Is the only reason for me going to Underland just to fulfill some prophecy or save your world? I only seem to be wanted when there's a Jabberwocky in need of slaying or a Red Queen to dethrone. Tell me Hatter; am I of no use to you or anyone else unless the Oraculum says otherwise?"

At that last remark Tarrant stopped looking around her room long enough to give her a frightened glance. His eyes flickered between orange and green briefly before he moved to stand in front of her. She glanced up at him and suddenly realized that from where she was sitting the Hatter was quite taller than her.

Although the room had been thrown into shadows, Tarrant's green eyes seemed to glow brightly as they stared down at her. "How can ye ask tha'?" The room echoed with his Outlandish accent, but he wasn't angry this time. Instead he looked saddened and his shoulders slumped slightly.

"I though' you already knew th' answer ta tha' question, lass," he whispered mournfully.

Alice shook her head again as she stared mutely at him. She didn't know what he meant by that, but it was likely that she and the Hatter were going off on two different tangents in their minds. What Tarrant was thinking was miles away from anything Alice's malfunctioning brain could come up with right now.

"Well, it goes like this," Tarrant said while he was still standing in front of her. His gaze never wavered from her as he told Alice what he thought she already knew. "Underland shall always be in debt to ye for slaying th' Jabberwocky and ridding us o' th' Bluddy Behg Hid. But yer connection ta our world goes beyond tha'. Yer dear ta th' Queen, as well as everyone else ye befriended."

His mouth twisted up into a cautious smile. "And, well…Yer dear ta me too, Alice. I'd have come ta get ye even if th' Queen didn' need ye. Does that answer yer question?"

Alice gazed up at the Hatter with wide eyes. She was completely speechless and thinking of things she didn't even want to recognize at that moment. She was…dear to Tarrant? How was she to respond to that?

"Ye-yes, I suppose it does," Alice said with a voice that was shaking with numerous emotions. "But, Tarrant, I didn't mean that I didn't care about you or anyone else from Underland-"

She stopped mid-sentence as the Hatter graced her with a dazzling smile. His eyes darkened to an even livelier green. "I know, lass. Yer curiousity hasn't lessened any. You're Alice, after all. Now, shall we be on our way?"

Alice looked once more between the Underlandian and the mirror. How did Tarrant expect her to just get up and waltz through the looking-glass after all he had said to her? She couldn't even get her thoughts properly formed; everything was fuzzy and Alice felt like she was seeing everything through a haze. She wanted to go to Underland, but something had changed between her and the Hatter in the span of a minute.

Where should she go from there?

Hatter seemed to sense her worry and reached across to gently grasp her hand. His bright green eyes focused on her and Alice froze in thought and movement as his gaze met hers. "Dear Alice, I promise that the trip through the looking-glass will be absolutely painless. All you have to do is believe."

_Believe…_Alice tore her gaze from Tarrant to the mirror in front of her. She was desperate to go back to Underland, and if Stayne had somehow escaped his exile, then it was all the more important that she return. Besides, she and Tarrant would have plenty of time to talk after they were in Underland. Alice took a tentative step toward the looking-glass, the skirt of her dress rustling as she did so. Tarrant moved with her, as he was still holding her hand.

Her arm shaking, Alice reached out with a finger to touch the surface of the glass.

When her finger made contact with the mirror the surface of it rippled outward, much like a stone being tossed into a pond. Alice gasped in shock, her mouth curving into a cautious grin. She slowly slid her arm into the glass until it was up to her elbow. It felt cool on her skin; like water. She was about to step into the mirror itself when she caught her foot on a rug, and she tumbled head-first into the looking-glass.

Her shriek was swallowed up as she disappeared from the Otherworld, Hatter following close behind. She held on to his hand tightly, but the force at which they were falling was beginning to pull her away. The trip through the looking-glass lasted barely a second, but it felt like an eternity to its two travellers. Alice had her eyes screwed shut during the tumble and she could suddenly feel something hit her in the stomach.

She was knocked dangerously off balance and her thoughts swirled in her head as the force of whatever hit her began to separate her from Tarrant. Alice grabbed at the Hatter's hand desperately, but with a final tug she spun away from him.

Only to land on a sandy beach.

* * *

Alice lay still for a moment, her breathing becoming regular once she had figured out that the world wasn't spinning after all. Coughing up a bit of sand that had come into her mouth, she pushed herself up shakily and sat down. She scanned her surroundings carefully, making note of each and every thing.

She was lying on a vast sand-covered beach and she had landed not far from its shore; she could see the waves and hear as they lapped the shore. It was a very rocky beach; black precipices jutted up everywhere along the shoreline. There was the definite tang of salt in the air, and Alice could see several seagulls as they flew through the air and swooped down into the water every now and then. The sun was still fairly high in the sky, and Alice guessed it was just past midday in…wherever she was. She hoped it was Underland, but she hadn't been at this particular spot before.

She didn't want to sit in the damp sand anymore so she stood up, brushing her dress down as she did so. She was about to walk along the shore for awhile when, with great suddenness, a loud crash reverberated somewhere among the rocks. Alice jumped in shock, her head darting back and forth among the black chunks of stone to see what had caused the disturbance. When she saw what it was, her eyes widened in shock.

There was a walrus sitting atop one of the rocks.

It looked around for a minute and then appeared to spot her. It clapped its front flippers together joyfully before speaking in a booming voice. "Champion Alice, it is a most delightful pleasure to finally meet you." His voice rumbled as loud as a steam engine.

Alice was flustered and confused at the same time. "So I _am_ in Underland, then?"

The walrus nodded his head sagely. "Aye, my dear. And it looks like you fell out of the sky. One minute I was trying to catch some rather pesky oysters and the next, here you are at the edge of the Crimson Sea." He gestured to the beach they were occupying.

Alice shook her head. "I was travelling through the looking-glass and I somehow ended up on this beach. The Hatter told me the other mirror was at Marmoreal."

_The Hatter._

A queasy feeling took over Alice and she suddenly realized she had no idea where Tarrant was. They had been separated while tumbling through the looking-glass and now he was nowhere to be found. As her thoughts careened back to their last conversation, Alice's stomach began to roll. She hadn't been able to talk to him about what he had said, and now he could be anywhere in Underland. Even with the Knave-

No. Her thoughts stopped themselves before Alice could let them get too far. The Hatter was safe and sound in Marmoreal, he had to be. He would be waiting for her, anxious and scared but safe. Then why did she have an uneasy feeling in her gut that seemed to be telling her otherwise?

The walrus' eyes appeared to widen substantially. "The looking-glass, you say? It's a mischievous thing. It'll sometimes backfire on you; you must have caught it on a rather bad day."

Alice brushed aside the fact that the walrus had just spoke about the mirror like it was a living thing. "If I landed here, then the Hatter must be nearby. Have you seen him?" she was worried. She hadn't seen Tarrant at all since she had tumbled down onto this beach, and that only appeared to give her suspicions further fruition.

The walrus scratched his head. "No, can't say as I have. If you two became separated on your trip through the looking-glass, then there's no telling where poor Tarrant is. Perhaps he is at Marmoreal, or maybe he was thrown halfway across Underland. Wherever he is, it certainly isn't here." He hopped off the rock rather graciously for a walrus and he lumbered up to her.

"The name's Salward, by the way. You wouldn't happen to be interested in any oysters, would you? I should offer them to you before my friend Carlen shows up. He has the nasty habit of eating them all."

Alice shook her head rather profusely. "No, thank you. They don't agree with me." Memories of the ship to China were still fresh in her mind.

"Really?" Salward asked as he turned away from her. "They don't tend to argue with people, and they haven't even met you yet!"

"I mean that I tried them once. I didn't quite like them."

Salward made a motion that resembled shrugging his shoulders, if he had any definable ones. "Suit yourself. Can't say I didn't offer."

Alice watched as he hobbled off to the ocean surf. He entered the waves and was soon off swimming. Alice vaguely wondered how many oysters he would catch. He could keep them for himself, as far as she was concerned. She didn't care for the slippery things.

As she turned her head away from the shoreline she saw something rather peculiar in the sand. It appeared to be a set of small footprints. This wouldn't have bothered her except for the fact that more kept appearing with each passing second.

And nothing was there.

She began to back up out of fear. What sort of creature was wholly invisible? Before she could trip over a rotting log that had washed up on the beach, a head seemed to appear in a fraction of a second. It hadn't been there a moment ago, and suddenly there it was.

And Alice undoubtedly knew who that head belonged to.

"Well hello, _the_ Alice," Chessur purred. His body soon materialized behind his head. He stopped walking and glanced up at her coyly. "You have a nasty habit of getting lost, don't you?"

* * *

**AN**: The plot thickens some more and the chapters keep getting longer and longer! And don't worry, Tarrant and Alice will be reunited...again. Oh dear, seems I keep torturing the two, doesn't it? :P

Read and then click that little button that says review. :)


	11. When She Leaves

**AN**: You people have floored me once again! 76 reviews? I never thought my little story would be so popular. Huge thanks goes to all who reviewed (you know who you are), and you all get cyber cookies! I think you deserve them. This chapter's a bit on the short side, but fear not, the chapters from here on get more interesting. And the Knave makes his grand entrance in the next chapter.

Disclaimer: Once again and for the hundredth time, I own absolutely nothing. Credit goes to Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll. Oh, and the Trews own the song below. Gotta love them.

* * *

_But when you leave, I lose control_  
_And I hate to have to even lose control_  
_When you leave I lose control_  
_And I'd hate to have to leave and lose control_

- The Trews, _When You Leave  
_

Tarrant knew something was wrong after he tumbled out of the looking-glass and onto the marble floor of Marmoreal's castle. His falling on the floor wasn't what was bothering him; he had handled torture at the Red Queen's hands, so a little stumble wasn't going to cause him harm. It was when his hat, which always seemed to defy gravity- well, Gravity was a rather poor fellow anyway- fell off his head with the force of his impact and it rolled away across the white marble tiles that Tarrant began to panic.

The Hatter got a strange feeling in his stomach then, as if something was dreadfully off with the world and he just hadn't realized it yet. Then he came upon the source of the uneasiness of his stomach: his head felt frightfully light. He brought his head up and gasped in shock.

He stared at his top hat with wide eyes as it sat on its side on the floor, mocking him silently. He slowly pushed himself up from the floor and was about to make a remark about his unruly hat to Alice-

_Alice._

With a fearful glance backwards he found himself staring at his reflection in the looking-glass. Tarrant scanned the room with worried eyes, all the while hatless and scared. He stood up, walking forward until he was face-to-face with the looking-glass.

The mirror had tricked him again: it had lured Alice to him, only to have her disappear once more. It had filled him with hope, only to have those expectations dashed to pieces as he studied his reflection in the glass. Anger began to bubble deep inside him, and if Mallymkun had been there she would have been quick to call him back.

But Tarrant was alone in the room.

"Where did ye send 'er, ye bloody piece o' glass?" Tarrant shouted. Alice wasn't there in the room with him and that meant she was most likely not in Marmoreal, either. And if she wasn't in Marmoreal…

Then she could be anywhere in Underland.

Tarrant was about to unleash all Outlandish curses he knew when a grating noise stopped him in his tracks. His eyes still tinted a dangerous orange, he whirled around as Nivens McTwisp cautiously entered the room. When the poor rabbit caught sight of him he nearly died of shock. He looked between Tarrant, his hat lying on the floor, and the mirror. When he put together what had happened he let a gasp of shock escape his lips.

"T-Tarrant, where is-"

"Out, ye bloody nuisance! Alice isn't here, can't ye see tha'?" Tarrant was going to lose what sanity he had left if the pesky rabbit didn't leave him alone this _instant_. Without Alice, Tarrant knew his last strand of patience would snap. It was like having tea without sugar, a party without guests, a Jabberwocky without the Vorpal sword, Underland without a champion. "This mirror, this slurking urpal slackush _scrum-_"

"Tarrant, it will do Alice no good for you to yell that way," a calm voice stated.

The Hatter spun away from Nivens, who was shaking like a leaf, to the woman who had just entered the chamber of the looking-glass. With one look from her cool eyes Tarrant slowly composed himself. He hung his head in shame at the White Queen, who had witnessed his latest outburst in its entirety.

"I'm fine," he squeaked, directing his gaze to the floor.

"No, you most certainly are not," Mirana said with a hint of sadness in her stare. "But fear not, Tarrant. I am certain our Champion will find her way back to us. She always has." The Queen floated over to Tarrant's hat and she picked it up gently, brushing the dust from it carefully. Holding it in both hands she walked over to the Hatter and offered the item back to him.

Tarrant looked at it with a certain amount of fear before accepting the cherished hat, placing it with a flourish back on his head. It would no longer be Gravity's plaything. Mirana, seeming pleased with this simple action and satisfied that Tarrant was done yelling, turned from the Hatter to Nivens.

"My dear friend, would you let the others know that Tarrant has returned?" her hands, held ever-daintily in the air, faltered for a moment.

Mirana couldn't let the public see that Alice's disappearance frightened her a great deal. She was usually good a hiding her emotions behind a mask of indifference. The Hatter, on the other hand…well, he never was one to hide what he was feeling. Every single emotion was laid out for the world to see by the change in his eyes or the colour of his clothes.

The White Rabbit, who had been absolutely petrified at Tarrant's outburst, appeared to come to his senses. He bowed slightly at the Queen before uttering, "Absolutely, Mirana. But what of-" he checked himself before finishing his sentence. Tarrant looked like he was close to snapping a synapse- his eyes had rapidly changed from green to molten orange.

Mirana spoke before the Hatter could form a response. "If they ask, tell them she is in Underland, but we are unsure where at this moment. It would seem the looking-glass was rather temperamental with our Champion."

Nivens gave one last panicked stare at Tarrant before scurrying from the room.

Mirana sighed to herself, her carefully constructed air of gracefulness disappearing for a second. It would do no good to have anyone worry about Alice, not when she was back in Underland. Even if no one knew where she was at that moment, Mirana assured herself that their Champion was back, and it was only a matter of time before she was safe in Marmoreal again. As for how long that would take, she was unsure.

"Temperamental? That's hardly the word I would use," Tarrant muttered. "Words beginning with the letter 'f' seem far more appropriate: frustrating, foolish, finicky, foolhardy-"

"Tarrant, please," Mirana sighed. She needed him to have as much calm in him right now, but it would seem he wouldn't rest until Alice was with him.

"Sorry, your Majesty," the Hatter said rather quickly. It was becoming harder to reign in his anger now that he knew Alice could be in danger at this very moment. He tried to keep his thoughts from wandering to Stayne, but that was a venture that was becoming hopeless.

"You don't need to apologize, Tarrant. But perhaps you should stay at Marmoreal for awhile. We can consult the Oraculum if you are still ill at ease." Her soft voice rang out loudly in the small room.

"Yes, yes, the Oraculum. Nifty little thing, I'd almost forgotten we had it!" Tarrant smiled for the first time since returning to Underland without Alice. With its help they would surely figure out where Alice had gone. It was a wonder he hadn't thought of it before.

"As had I," Mirana chuckled. "Come, my friend. Let us see what has befallen our dear Alice." She glanced back at Tarrant as she held her hands high and glided out of the room.

Hatter made sure to give the looking-glass a sound kick before following his Queen.

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**AN**: Don't kill me for separating Hatter and Alice again. I swear they'll be reunited again soon!

Read and review, please and thanks!


	12. A Friend and A Fiend

**AN**: So, as demanded by many of you, here's the next chapter. Lots of praise to all the reviewers! And I want to say just because I don't necessarily reply to you individually anymore (this author's note would be a mile long if I did), I do in fact read each and every one of your reviews. If you have a question for me, feel free to PM me!

Disclaimer: Since I haven't changed genders and call myself Tim Burton or Lewis Carroll, I do not own Alice in Wonderland. Because that would be weird if I did...

* * *

_'cause you're wrong and you know right away_  
_and you're wrong and you know you walk in and walk out with no pain and no doubt_

- the Trews, _Fleeting Trust_

Alice hated walking.

It seemed no matter how many times she visited Underland, each trip always seemed to involve walking and a terrible amount of it, if she did say so herself. Her feet were aching and she had since shrugged off her coat, draping it over her arms in what she hoped was a ladylike manner. Her shoes were also giving her problems: she had specifically worn flat-footed boots in the hopes that, without heels, her feet wouldn't hurt as much.

That theory was soon dashed to pieces.

Chessur seemed to get a certain amount of pleasure from watching her grumble about her various problems and he kept a manic grin on his face the entire time that they were walking. When Alice caught sight of his grinning, she would frown even further and give the cat a dark look that mirrored Tarrant's when he was having a bad day. The only difference between the two was her eyes didn't change colour, although if they did, Alice's normally bright blue eyes would have been tinted a much darker hue. One might even have said storm clouds were brewing in her irises.

"Just because you can vanish and pop up wherever you want doesn't mean you can lord it over me," Alice muttered. Chessur had been doing the very thing since they had left the edge of the Crimson Sea, and the novelty of it was beginning to wear thin. _Very_ thin, in fact. Alice's patience was in danger of snapping at any moment.

"My, my, Alice," Chessur purred as his head vanished from in front of her in the blink of an eye, only to reappear at her shoulder. "Aren't we touchy today? All I've been trying to do is help you. If I hadn't been strolling along the edge of the Crimson Sea, you'd still be talking to that walrus! Face it, my dear," he lowered his voice. "You'd have been lost without me."

"I…I would have found my way, with or without you!" Alice said huffily, brushing him away from her. He disappeared again, showing up a few feet in front of her. He gave her one flick of his tail and then faced forward.

"I highly doubt that. But, since you're being so adamant about it…perhaps I _should_ leave you alone." He glanced once at her, curiousity burning in his gaze.

A frown formed on Alice's face, but it wasn't out of anger or annoyance. While she may have been quick to say otherwise, she was utterly astray without the Cheshire cat to guide her. This was a part of Underland she hadn't visited before; she'd need someone who had some sense of where he was to help her this time around.

With a final roll of her eyes, Alice sighed. "Fine, I suppose you can stay."

Chessur grinned widely, fading once again from ahead of her. Alice paused, wholly confused, until she felt something flick her hair. Whirling her head around, she saw Chessur had materialized at her shoulder again before hopping down to the ground. He kept pace beside her, not wanting to float as a head for the time being. Alice was rather glad at that: she found it very unnerving when Chessur's head was moving about in the air. Although, she had reasoned, she should be rather used to it by now.

"I knew you'd come around. Besides, I can't have you wandering around here like a lost child. With Stayne on the loose again, no path is safe when travelled alone. And I'm sure Tarrant would skin me alive and make me into a rather dashing hat should anything happen to you on your way to Marmoreal."

Alice chuckled as she imagined the poor Cheshire cat being chased by the Hatter, who wanted nothing more than his fur for a hat. It would be a ridiculous sight to behold, to be sure. "I'm certain you'd make a lovely fedora," Alice said, giggling slightly.

"Oh yes, I'm sure I would," Chessur hummed, flicking his tail in the air. "It's just that I'm rather fond of my luxurious coat right now. Perhaps Tarrant would make me a hat of my own? It would have to be furless, of course. I've always admired silk…"

Alice chuckled to herself, watching as the Cheshire cat strolled in front of her. Strolling was the only accurate word for what he was doing; there was no other way to describe it. Glancing around, she found she liked to area they were in. Chessur had called it Queast and explained that it was a land in the east, but not in the least. While she was still trying to wrap her head around that sentence, she took in the scenery around her.

The landscape was a bit sparser than most in Underland, but there were enough trees and flowers to make it interesting. At the moment the two of them were walking along a relatively smooth path in the forest and it wound away through the shrubs. The flowers were once again ten times the size of any plant in London, but that didn't surprise Alice one bit. There was such a large array of them as well: beautiful roses, vibrant lilies, and Alice was sure that there were some honeysuckles in the background.

Alice was so absorbed in the blossoms that she didn't hear when one of them began to speak to her. Chessur perked his head up at the sudden commotion that was spreading through the flowers like wildfire.

"Mistress Alice-" a frightened rose began.

"Oh hush you, she needs to hear what _I_ have to say," a peony interrupted.

As all the flowers began to bristle with anger and fear, Alice came to her senses. She stopped walking to face the bickering plants. Chessur did likewise and he tilted his head at the turmoil.

"What is going on?" Alice asked, simply out of curiousity. She had no idea what could be spooking the flowers like this. They normally insulted her more than anything. Chessur seemed similarly nonplussed.

"Well you see, Mistress," one of the roses gulped, her face drawn taught in fear. "A man came walking by some of the flowers not far from here, and-"

"And he just trampled though them like we don't even have feelings!" a lily finished for her. "He didn't seem very happy, either." The flower shook in contempt, a deep frown appearing on her face.

Alice exchanged a fearful glance with Chessur. There was only one man that moment that she could think of who would do such a terrible thing. She hoped to any higher being that she was wrong, but one look at the flicker of dread in the Cheshire cat's face confirmed her suspicions. It would seem that their trip to Marmoreal wouldn't go smoothly.

Facing the timid flowers once again, Alice tried to smile encouragingly, but it would seem her mouth wasn't working properly; the only thing she could manage was a grimace.

"Do you know who that man was?"

Once she posed the question, all of the flowers seemed to tremble in unison and their faces became filled with absolute terror. Alice, not seeming to understand what was going on, turned to look down at Chessur. He too had frozen in fear and his wide eyes were fixated on something behind her.

Then, without so much as a word to her, he vanished.

While Alice was still trying to process what had just happened, one of the lilies gasped loudly and opened her mouth to speak. No sound came out, however, and Alice was just about to question her when something landed on her shoulder.

It was her turn to freeze and as she slowly turned her head around she figured out what had been placed on her shoulder: it was a gloved hand. A very familiar hand, but no happy memories of it were floating around Alice's head.

Memories of Crims' fortress, of being intimidated and pushed against a wall against her will were the only things going through her head at that moment. It couldn't be him, there was no way it could be him…but then the Hatter's words came back to her and Alice was certain she knew who the man behind her was.

"_It's the bloody Knave o' Hearts. He escaped 'is exile in the Outlands an' has now set out to destroy the Queen and all she 'olds dear."_

The Knave of Hearts.

The man who had been strangely drawn to her, or rather, the persona she had created when Alice had been discovered in the Red Queen's garden. He had terrified her more than Iracebeth of Crims, if that was even possible. And Tarrant had said he wanted to destroy all that the Queen…realization struck her, as quick and hard as a speeding steam engine.

As the Champion of Underland, her capture would break Mirana's heart. Not to mention the emotional stress it would put on…but Alice shook herself from that thought.

She wouldn't let him hurt her. After all, hadn't she slain a Jabberwocky? Escaping from the Knave should be nothing.

Then why did it feel like her feet were suddenly encased in stone?

"Well, well," Ilosovic Stayne murmured into her ear, his hand clamping down harder on her shoulder. His mouth curled up into a grin when he felt her tremble at his voice. "It's good to see you again, Um."

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**AN**: And the Knave appears! He'll be sticking around for awhile. And Tarrant...well, Tarrant will be positively livid in the next chapter, what else?

Read and review, please and thank you!


	13. That Slurvish Cat

**AN**: I've decided to add another chapter at the behest of my awesome readers! And this time it's 2,201 words! I added a page at least to this before deciding it was good enough to add. Let me know if it's getting too philosophical for you. :P

I would have updated sooner, but I was too busy watching the English dubbed version of _Howl's Moving Castle_. And wishing I could have it on permanent loan from the library. And drooling at Christian Bale's voice.

And to my lovely reviewers:

_**sailormoon456**_: Wow. You've got a lot of love for this story, huh? I lengthened the chapter for you, I hope you like it!

_**LittleFairyMaiden**_: Chapter 12's there, isn't it? *checks* Yep, it's there. And they'll be reunited, but not before a fair amount of angst happens. I hate writing it, but it has to happen. And that'll make their reunion all the sweeter. :D

_**AKnya**_: Thank you a hundred times over! The story's taking a turn for the dark coming up, but the Hatter shall come for her, fear not!

_**Hats-For-Alice**_: Oh, Hatter's coming alright! And he's not pleased at all... *devious smirk*

_**AdriRin**_: Don't panic! It'll all turn out alright.

_**Jasper winked**_: Thanks, glad I captured everyone's personalities! I think that's one of the keys to a great fanfiction. Hope you like this chapter!

_**CaptainBillyTheWerewolf**_: I really love your reviews. And you can rest assured that this will _never_ even come _close_ to an Alice/Knave story. I get shivers at the thought of it. It's Hatter/Alice one hundred percent. Still can't believe Crispin Glover played him! He shall always be remembered to me as Marty McFly's nerdy father. Ah, _Back to the Future_. I miss that movie.

And a hearty thank you goes to all that I didn't mention! Keep your thoughts and comments coming, I love them! And now to end this ridiculously long author's note:

Disclaimer: I really own nothing. Do I need to keep saying that? Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll get all the credit; I'm just using their movie/books for inspiration.

* * *

"Yer tellin' me tha' you _left_ 'er?" Tarrant's voice echoed around Marmoreal's Great Hall. His glare landed on Chessur and the cat would have fled from the room if it wasn't for the reproving look Mirana was currently giving him.

Reproving was actually putting it lightly. It was impossible for the White Queen to look any more disappointed and sad than she did right then. Tarrant, on the other hand…He looked like he was going to lose his mind. Under any other circumstances that would have been amusing to the cowardly cat.

As of this instant, however…Chessur would have preferred being locked up in the Red Queen's dungeon at Crims than be crouching on the floor in fear. A rather large group had appeared at Marmoreal when it was apparent that Underland's Champion had gone missing. An even larger group had assembled when Chessur had suddenly returned with some troubling news. Everyone had been outraged at what he had said, and even Mallymkun looked like she wanted to stab him with her sword.

The poor dormouse was trembling with rage. She may not be _that_ angry because Chessur had lost Alice- she had been jealous of the Champion since she had returned for the second time to Underland- but she was irate at what this news would do to Tarrant. He was masking his sorrow behind his anger at the moment, but sooner or later his protective wall would tumble down.

And it was all Chessur's fault.

"_If tha' stupid _slurvish_ cat hadn' lost Alice, everythin' woulda been back ta normal by now,"_ Mally thought crossly. _"Instead, he has th' senselessness ta come back wiv his tail between his legs an' tell us tha' Alice has been taken by the Knave o' Hearts!" _She fingered her sword thoughtfully and imagined Chessur with one less eye.

"Well, when you put it…that…way…" Chessur replied while his ears flattened against his skull as Tarrant advanced upon him. It looked like there were sparks flying from the Hatter's dark orange eyes. "Yes, I suppose I did. But what did you expect me to do? Stayne was standing behind her!"

He glanced left and right at the assembled group of Underlandians that surrounded him. All of them were either shooting him death glares or shaking their heads at his words. Mirana looked like she was torn between throttling him and crying. There were tears in her eyes as she assessed him.

"Ye should've shown some backbone, ye bloody coward!" Tarrant growled. He was still walking toward Chessur, who had by now flattened himself against Mirana's throne. The Hatter reached up and began to finger one of the pins that were stuck into his beloved top hat.

Chessur's eyes widened even more at that motion as images of being skewered by hat pins began to flash through his mind. Now he would _definitely_ be made into a fedora.

"Tarrant," Mirana spoke. The Hatter paused as his eyes flickered between green and orange. "I think it would be for the best if Chessur remains alive for the time being. He's the only witness we have to what happened to Alice. Fate has taken a course that the Oraculum has not predicted. We are blind this time around."

With one movement Tarrant stopped walking and lowered his hand from his hat. He sighed sadly, as if all the fight had gone out of him with that single action. His eyes were now tinted a greyish green and they implored the Queen for an answer to their dilemma.

Unfortunately, Mirana was at a loss as to what to do. The Oraculum could not help them no matter what they did. Alice was nowhere to be found; at least not anywhere they could think of at this moment. Panic began to squeeze at her heart, and though she tried to keep a calm demeanour about her it was evident that the kidnapping of Underland's Champion cut her deeply.

"I…I wish to confer with Chessur privately," Mirana murmured as her hands gripped the throne's arms tightly.

It would do no good for them to talk openly here of such important matters, not when someone could be listening in on their conversation. Enough nobles had been attracted at the commotion as it was. Like flies to carrion they had begun to swarm them, and their curious looks did nothing to better the situation.

Chessur gave her a look of intense relief, but Mirana wasn't finished speaking yet. "I wish for Tarrant to be present with us as well." Any glimmer of relief Chessur had was destroyed that second as he glanced over at the Hatter. There would be no escaping the madman, it seemed. Chessur could vanish at any moment, but he supposed it would be for the better that he stays in the Great Hall. That way his fur would stay with him for longer.

Tarrant, whose eyes had changed back to their normal green, perked up from where he stood. Giving the Cheshire cat one last glare, he swept his hat off his head and bowed deeply to the Queen.

He was going to follow the Queen regardless of her position on his coming, but it was better that he had her permission. Although, given the circumstances, he would have gone to any lengths so long as it meant Alice would be returned to them soon. Underland didn't feel safe without her; there was a hum of confusion in the air.

Soon enough the hum would break out into full blown panic and the Queen would have her hands full trying to stop the chaos. Alice's presence brought with it an amount of safety that made everyone feel better. Without her, uncertainty would fester and spread like a disease until the whole land was fraught with it.

"It would be my honour, your Majesty." All hints of his Outlandish brogue had left, leaving him with his slight lisp. As he straightened he saw the ghost of a smile flit across Mirana's face before a frown replaced it. There would be no time for happiness until their Champion was safe in Marmoreal once more.

"Very good. If you will follow me then, please. I know of a room that will be safe for us to speak freely in." Mirana stood, her white gown flowing behind her as she moved. Her hands once again held elegantly in the air, she began to walk out of the room.

She had barely made it three feet across the room before she turned back around to face Mallymkun. She needed to ask a favour of the mouse, and it was one she knew the dormouse would fulfill thoroughly. It was common knowledge that Mally disliked Alice and that was putting it lightly. Jealousy was the only proper term for the mouse's feelings toward the Champion.

She didn't like how close Tarrant and Alice had become over her trips to Underland. Sure, the first time had been when she was a mere child, but she had matured when she returned for the second time. It hadn't gone unnoticed by any of them, even if they were too proud to say anything about it. The Knave even had the nerve to try and take advantage of her, but that fact was one that wasn't lightly bantered about.

Time moved differently for her than any of the residents of Underland. She would have to be naïve not to notice how none of them had physically aged, no matter how many years had passed between her visits. And now that she was old enough to know the difference between the smiles Tarrant graced her with and the leers of the Knave, Alice could surely see what her growing up had done to the Underlandians.

The Hatter being the most affected. He had befriended her again upon her return, even though her muchness had very nearly vanished. He knew that with the age she acquired came some forgetfulness as well. However, in that muddled mind of his Tarrant knew that just because Alice had forgotten about Underland, it didn't mean she didn't remember.

That made a twisted kind of sense to him. He had argued with Time so often that he had figured out the nuances between her world and his. Memory worked differently in the Otherworld than it did in Underland, just as Time kept itself on a rather tight schedule in the land above. It was prone to speed up and slow down, and age the residents as the years went by.

And Alice hadn't been excluded from the moving hands of Time.

It appeared that Time liked to mock Tarrant, as it had allowed him to retrieve her only to whisk her away again with the Knave's rather ill-timed appearance. Alice's kidnapping had done nothing to balance Tarrant's already off-kilter nerves. Alice had been his rock, his beacon calling him back to shore in his times of darkness. Now that she was gone, his moods were becoming madder by the second, and sooner or later his last strand of sanity would snap.

Mirana recalled with a barely concealed sigh of sadness that Tarrant _was_ mad, but he was the good kind of mad. The kind that still retained his sanity, but there kept a sadness that lingered behind those kaleidoscope eyes. That sadness had been momentarily overcome when Alice had slain the Jabberwocky, but had come back full force when it was apparent she was leaving.

He had tried to hide it, and Mirana commended him for the effort he had to exact on his weary heart. The poor man had already suffered the death of his entire family, but now his closest friend, apart from Mally and Thackery, had been spirited away from him without him being able to say goodbye. If the Queen had her way, though, she would make sure that the Hatter would never have to say goodbye to Alice.

For that word held in it such sorrow that she was sure Tarrant would crumble under its incredible weight. To see that man break in two for the third time would takes its toll on everyone. Happiness was a rare commodity in such a bizarre world, but Mirana would fight for it with her dying breath.

She looked the dormouse in the eye. Mally had been temperamental with the Champion in the past, but for everyone's sake Mirana hoped that the twinges of jealousy had passed. It would do no one good for Alice's rescue to be halted due to ill feelings on the mouse's part. There was enough tension in the air without an argument adding to it.

The dormouse was perched on top of the Bandersnatch's head. Her sword was still held at the ready, and it seemed to be pointed at Chessur for the moment. It was a coincidence to be sure, but Chessur would beg to differ with the mouse if his head wasn't already on the chopping block. One more comment from his mouth would make sure it would be put right and well out of any further use.

"Mally, would you and the Bandersnatch guard the door once we are inside the room? I do not wish to be disturbed." She paused to await the response to her request. It may seem perfectly to the Queen, but it was hard to read the dormouse's feelings.

Tarrant on the other hand was an open book. His clothes were a dull colour and his eyes shifted to a dark grey-green. His very body seemed to wilt with the knowledge that Alice was once again out of his reach, and that sight squeezed at Mirana's heart.

Mally's reaction surprised the Queen. The dormouse nodded her tiny head and her eyes glittered with angry tears. "Cer'ainly, Mirana. Come along then, ya oaf," she tapped the Bandersnatch's head with her sword and the beast began to lumber after the small group.

Mirana gave Mally a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she turned around again, her hands floating in the air. It would seem the mouse was experiencing a change of heart. Mally disliked Alice, but the mouse was friends with Tarrant. And since Tarrant was fond of Alice, Mally had to grudgingly accept the Champion as an equal for the time being. That was a rather odd way of putting it, but Mirana couldn't think of any other way to explain it.

With that the grave procession made its way out of the room, Tarrant shooting Chessur a glare as the cat slinked its way after them. He was still very aware of the position he was in right now. If he put so much as one paw out of line or says something he ought not to have uttered, he was as good as dead.

One little detail was stopping him from being skinned alive by Tarrant at the moment. As the feline was the only connection they had to Alice at that moment, they couldn't afford to hurt him.

After they got the information _out_ of him, however…

That was a different story.

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**AN**: So, what do you think? Although the next chapter's are a tad darker, they will get better! I will warn you ahead of time of the angst.

If you've taken the time to read this chapter, why not review? :D


	14. Memories Unhinged

**AN**: Hey all! I decided to add another chapter tonight, as I'm leaving on a school trip to New York tomorrow! That's right, for the next four days I'll be in the Big Apple. So to celebrate, I'm adding the next chapter for all of you to enjoy. :D

A few notes to my reviewers:

_**Jasper winked**_: Glad you liked the title too (I thought of it rather spontaneously). Yup, the Hatter's really overprotective of Alice, especially where the Knave's concerned. And don't worry, nothing too bad will happen, I promise! Well, I can't promise that nothing will happen to the Knave. We'll see...

**_sailormoon456_**: Aha no problem with the longer chapters, honest! I have them at around 1,000 words initially and then I go over and add like crazy to them, to help flesh them out more. And I built off the fact that in the movie only Mally and Alice (mostly Alice) could really calm Tarrant when he was in a temper. And that is a very important fact; it will come up again later.

_**Nichelle M**_: You have the same first name and last initial of a friend of mine. At first I thought you were her, but then I found out you weren't...Anyway, that was interesting. And yes, Alice is close but so far away from Tarrant right now. But that will change, I promise!

_**When-life-gives-you-muffins**_: Love the author name by the way. Wow, thank you. Here's another update! :D

_**KThxBai**_: Here's chapter fourteen! (wow, this story is getting long... :P)

_**Hats-For-Alice**_: Aha, Chess seems to always get himself into trouble, the sniveling coward. But he redeems himself, don't worry.

**_Dreamless-Mermaid_**: *blush* Thank you! I would have gone to see the movie again as well but it's out of our theater now *frown* But we're getting it on DVD. I shall make sure of it. :P

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing, not even that song quotation down there. Credit is due to Lewis Carroll, Tim Burton and Tegan and Sara (love them!)

Warning: This chapter contains minor angst and sadness, along with a curse word. You have been warned.

And now, on with the show!

_

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It's love that leaves and breaks the seal  
Of always thinking you would be  
Real happy and healthy, strong and calm  
Where does the good go?  
Where does the good go?_

- Tegan and Sara, _Where does the Good Go?_

Darkness was the first thing that greeted Alice upon her awakening.

It was the only thing that accompanied her in the cell she had been dumped into, save for a few rats. She didn't even recall being left in this godforsaken hole, but as she looked around with weary eyes vague images drifted in and out of the haze of pain in her mind. They were images that she would rather forget than remember.

A cloth being forced over her mouth…the faint cries of the flowers as they realized they could not help her…the sickening feeling of Stayne's hand as it brushed up her shoulder and he began to stroke her hair…her vision blackening as the potion on the cloth numbed her mind…being placed on the back of a beast and the jerk as it began to lumber away…

But lumber away to where? Alice had no memories thereafter; everything had been erased from her mind. As her eyes adjusted themselves to the darkness of her prison cell, Alice could faintly see the outline of the bare walls and floor and of a gap of light that shone through the door's barred window.

She glanced around at the peeling paint and faded hues of the walls and gasped in shock. All of the room was painted red. Crimson dye tainted the walls around her and as she flicked her head at her surroundings, she became even more distressed. The room seemed to be mocking her, the scraps of falling plaster taunting her with gaping grins cast by their shadows.

She was at the Red Queen's fortress in Crims.

It looked to be a rather decaying building as well, if her cell was any indication. From what she could see, it was a rather large room. The emptiness of it was what scared her. Aside from the deplorable state of the walls, there was nothing else interesting about the room.

If she didn't count the fact that she was laying down on the floor, with nothing but a couple of starving rats to keep her company. She should have fought; she should never have let him overpower her like that.

She was Underland's Champion. She was a young businesswoman who had slain a Jabberwocky and braved exotic lands in the name of her father's trading company.

And yet she had crumbled like the scared young woman she was when that _monster_ approached her. It didn't help her in the least that Chessur had decided to disappear into thin air when he had caught sight of Stayne. She had been left at the mercy of the devil himself and now she was in a dank, decrepit fortress with no hope of rescue.

Alice fought the urge to cry as tears began to sting her eyes. She hadn't cried at the prospect of facing the Jabberwocky, so why was she so scared now? If anything in her life should have frightened her that event would surely have been it.

New understanding flooded Alice's mind, and fresh tears leaked out of her eyes from the thought. She'd always had someone at her side, someone who instilled hope in her and gave her the courage to do the impossible. He had helped her get her muchness back, just when she was in danger of losing it completely.

And now she was all alone.

"Tarrant…" Alice croaked, the raw emotion coursing through her veins making it difficult to speak. "Why aren't you here? I need your help…"

She needed him by her, for moral support if nothing else. When everyone else had doubted her, he had been the lone person to stand up and declare _she_ was the real Alice. He had never hesitated as to her identity. He saw beyond the scared young woman's appearance and into the heart of the future Champion. That both scared and flattered her. How was it that he, the maddest Hatter of them all, was able to see her for who she truly was?

That was a skill it seemed few had. Few were able to see past their own indifferences and opinions long enough to see that the true Champion was standing right in front of them. It had taken Tarrant only one glance for him to confirm that she was the one the prophecy spoke of.

Hatter's relationship with Time allowed him to pick apart tiny alterations in Alice's appearance, for it was the way she looked that stumped a lot of Underlandians. Under her older guise he could still see the frightened little girl she had been upon her first visit.

So he extended a hand to help her along her journey. After all, she was the person who would save his land and win back the hearts of the people. Alice hadn't counted for her heart to be caught up in the fray as well. She had grown fond of the world she was now trapped in. She had so many friends in Underland she had trouble counting them at times.

Leaving had nearly cut her in two, although she knew it was what had to be done. She had tied up all of the loose ends in her world and had assured herself that she would return soon. Alice had never been quite sure why she held such a longing for that place in her heart, but she was sure it had something to do with Tarrant.

And now he was too far away to help her. Too far away to give her advice when she needed it most. Too far away to soothe her fears and calm her. Too far away…

She curled into a ball on the floor, dragging her dress hem in the dirt as she did so. With the tiniest shred of relief she found she was still wearing her dress, although it was a great deal muddier than before. Her boots were scraped and worn thin from walking, but they were still in one piece. The only thing missing was her travelling coat. It was nowhere in sight.

"Now Alice, there's no need to be overdramatic," a spiteful voice whispered to her.

Alice started at the sudden noise before becoming stock-still. Tears still crept down her face as she turned her head to regard the door. The previous thread of light from it had snapped and something now blocked it. It was something that exuded an aura of such malevolence that it was almost tangible.

It would seem her torturer had come to talk.

"Get away from me!" Alice shrieked. She darted upright and backed herself into the farthest corner of the room. Her chest heaving with her terrified breaths, the Champion gazed at the door with pure fear.

"Why such panic, Alice? I'm not going to hurt you."

"_Liar_," Alice hissed. She pressed her back even closer against the rough wall as she drew her legs up to her chest. It was a futile attempt to make herself feel safer, but it did the trick for the moment. "Why would you bring me here of you didn't wish to harm me? Why not kill me now and get it over with? Isn't that what you want, _Stayne_?"

The Knave chuckled darkly. "Where would be the fun in that, my dear Alice? I need you alive; how else am I supposed to have the White Queen surrender her crown?"

Alice sucked her breath in sharply. He was using her as a tool for Mirana's surrender? No, she wouldn't allow it. She would never allow that fiend to take control of Underland. Too many possibilities danced through her head at that thought. Mirana would agree with anything the Knave told her, so long as Alice was still with him.

Everyone and everything would be in an uproar and Underland would be thrown into a state of anarchy. Things would be worse than when the Red Queen was in power. She, at least, could be manipulated if need be. The Knave was so rotten no amount of begging or pleading would turn him from whatever plan he had come up with.

"Yes, you silly woman, Mirana will do whatever I say once she finds out I have you here. And who knows? Maybe Tarrant will come here in the hopes of rescuing you. Then I can finish the madman off, once and for all." Alice could practically see the Knave grinning maniacally through the wooden door.

"You wouldn't _dare_." Alice said, trying to make herself sound braver than she really was. Inside she was trembling in fear and shock. Tarrant, come to rescue her? But no, that would put him in danger, and she couldn't bear to see him-

She couldn't bear to see him harmed.

"You underestimate me. The Red Queen was just a pawn in a much larger game. And this time Mirana and her kingdom will be the pieces to fall. I believe that's checkmate, my dear."

"Not yet it isn't," Alice growled as she hugged her arms around her legs. "You were banished once and you shall be banished again. It's only a matter of time before they figure out where I am."

She would persevere throughout all of this. She would come out of it alive, no matter how many wounds scarred her body. She could deal with physical pain; in time it would fade. Mental suffering was what she could not stand. Broken bones would heal, but how would one go about fixing a broken mind?

The only person she could think of to answer that question was halfway across Underland, and hopefully in Marmoreal's castle. That thought was enough to make Alice's heart tighten.

Stayne moved his head, as if to see her better. "Oh, I don't doubt they will. But I'm not sure how much time you have left before you break. What would Tarrant think if he came here hoping to find you, only to discover you've expired before he could-"

"_Shut up_!" Alice screeched. She launched herself at the door while spitting obscenities at the Knave. Stayne stepped back a bit from the door as Alice pounded at it with fury. She wouldn't die, she couldn't die. That would be too hard on everyone. Stayne would take control of Underland and everything would be torn asunder.

Lives would be lost, families destroyed and homes burned to the ground. A veritable hell on earth. And Alice was the only thing keeping that from becoming the reality of Underland. She would stand between Underland and Stayne while she still had legs to do so.

"Bit of a wildcat, aren't you, Um?" the Knave whispered as he slowly faded from view. "No matter, though. I'll get rid of that obstinate nature for you. You will break eventually, Alice. Don't you worry your pretty head about that…"

When Stayne disappeared Alice stopped pummelling the door and she slowly sank to the ground. Her body hitched with fresh sobs as she gazed around her prison. She hated being in this room, but she had no idea why. There was something familiar about it, but it wasn't the _good_ kind of familiar. It was the kind of familiar that made her want to run far way from the room and never look back.

The thin shaft of light returned now that the Knave had left, and Alice's tear-filled eyes picked up details of the room that she had previously missed. Details such as the length of the room itself and the way the dust collected on the floor. It looked like there had been several tables scattered all over the room, if the dust-free rectangles of ground were any indication. As Alice scanned around the room, she saw something peculiar.

Something that nearly stopped her heart from beating.

She now knew what room she was in; even if it appeared that there was nothing to distinguish it from the rest of the castle. It was in the shape of it, in the colour of the faded walls. It was in the tiny scraps of fabrics and feathers that were scattered over the floor. No wonder she hadn't noticed them before; they were so tiny.

Stayne had put her in the Hatter's old cell.

The cell that he had spent so much time imprisoned in while making hats for the Red Queen. The cell she had found him in. The cell that the Knave had caught her in. The cell the Hatter had nearly escaped from.

Alice ran her hand along the rough floor as pictures flashed through her mind of all the things that had happened in the cell. The Knave was smarter than she had first thought; what need was there to physically wound her when she was breaking internally without any effort from him? Torture wouldn't be necessary at all, if he kept her in here.

Memory was the best weapon to unhinge a person's mind.

And Alice was beginning to come apart at the seams.

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**AN**: Just to let you all know, there will be minor torture/violence in the next few chapters. But only minor stuff. Like it was explained above, the Knave doesn't need to hurt her physically if he can manipulate her mind. Thus sticking her in Hatter's cell. If that doesn't bring on a torrent of memories, I don't know what will.

Read and review!


	15. A Butterfly's Advice

**AN:** I'm back from NY! I've actually been back for a few days now, but I just finished writing this chapter last night, as I'd run out of pre-written chapters. Hope you all love this one, and interpret it as you will (you'll see it can go a couple of different ways...)

And to my reviewers:

_**KiaraGil101**_: *gasp* I don't want to think like Stayne; he's a creepy, perverted, overly-tall psycho. :P And I obviously didn't update in NY. We had internet at the hotel, but I didn't have my flash drive with me or the chapter written yet. But I did get to try out an iPad at a mall! And checked my email on it too. Am I the only one who really hates the name?

_**Dreamless-Mermaid**_: Aw, thank you! And Tarrant shall come, don't worry. And NY was awesome (aside from the failed car bomb in Times Square- we were there when it happened, and we all walked by it more than once before it almost blew up. Scary, let me tell you)

_**AdriRin**_: Yes, drama and angst, all wrapped up into one convenient chapter. It'll change soon, trust me!

_**Hats-For-Alice**_: Yes, the Knave is rather twisted, isn't he? But this way there will be less physical violence, although there will be a bit of it...

_**Sky1999**_: Thanks a bunch!

_**LittleLotte19**_: Thank you, it's a good thing they met again. And the Hatter needs to ramble a bit. Hope you enjoy the rest of the chapters!

_**sailormoon456**_: Twists abound in this story! :P And my brain's been numb lately too, as you can see by how long it took me to get this chapter up.

_**Julie Christine Sparrow**_: Thank you, although my mind's been on the fritz lately. School will do that to you, especially when you're in Grade 12.

_**Jasper winked**_: Thanks! I fitted in all the random memories I could to help fill the chapter up; it felt empty without them.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and am receiving nothing for publishing this story. Credit goes to Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll. And Mr. Carroll also owns the poem I placed haphazardly throughout the chapter below. And Josh Groban obviously claims that song quotation below. Nothing is mine.

Now, on with the story!

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_Don't give up_  
_ Because you want to be heard_  
_ If silence keeps you_  
_ I...I will break it for you_

_-_Josh Groban, _You are Loved (Don't Give Up)  
_

_"__Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe," _Alice whispered in a singsong voice, the old poem echoing off the walls of her prison. She chuckled quietly to herself and ran a hand through her already tangled hair. _"All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe."_

She had lost track of how long she had been imprisoned in Crims. The only indications were the slat of light that changed in brightness with the rising and setting of the sun, and the sparse meals that Stayne would bring her. Her legs would cramp from disuse, as she could only pace her cell or walk to the bathroom when Stayne allowed her. Otherwise she was left alone and miserable in her prison.

Her prison that was becoming more like a room for the insane as the time went by.

She took it upon herself to recite the poem that the Hatter had spoken to her on her second trip to Underland. It helped her to remember who he was, as her memories were slipping through her fingers faster than her chances of ever becoming a proper lady. She giggled at the thought. No, she would never be a proper lady of England's elite. She would leave that to people who sadly lacked muchness.

_"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!" _Alice continued with her voice airy and high-pitched. Rehearsing this poem was the only connection she had to Tarrant at that moment. It made her feel more at peace and at home in her prison than if she kept completely silent.

She convinced herself that Stayne would leave her be if she made it appear that she was crazy. The Knave would have no use for a madwoman. The only problem Alice had was the ever-nagging voice in the back of her head that told her the show she was putting on for Stayne may very well be real. In retaliation Alice would speak the lines from the familiar poem in her singsong voice, louder and louder until it was either drowned out or Stayne came in to check on her.

Her rendition was nothing like the Hatter's, of course. His lilting, strange Outlandish accent couldn't be outdone by anyone, with the exception of Thackery. The mad hare could be spurred into a rage as well as Tarrant, if not better. The only difference was that his rambling tended to make less sense than Tarrant's. The Hatter's rants made some semblance of sense; whereas Thackery was just plain…mad.

_"__Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch!" _Alice recited. Her voice grew soft as she finished that particular line of the poem. She had every intention of bewaring the Jubjub bird; it had, after all, posed quite a threat to her and various other Underlandians.

The Bandersnatch, on the other hand…Alice had grown rather fond of the frightening creature. It had befriended her after she had given it its eye back, and it had saved her life once. She would have been at the Knave's mercy if it hadn't swept her out of Crims on its back.

But that had all apparently been for naught, as she was back within the Knave's cruel grasp once more. Perhaps it was a twist of Fate, or perhaps the Oraculum had predicted it. Either way, Alice was trapped within the prison in Crims and the one in her mind, and there was no one coming to rescue her.

_"__He took his vorpal sword in hand: long time the manxome foe he sought,"_ Alice mumbled, her voice becoming shakier by the second. The vorpal sword; the weapon she had used to slay the dreaded Jabberwocky. The blade she had barely managed to steal from right under the Red Queen's nose.

The vorpal sword she had nearly used to cut the Hatter's bonds.

_"__So rested he by the Tumtum tree, and stood awhile in thought." _She would say this poem for him. She would recite it so she would never forget him or anything else that was good about Underland. She would perform it until her dying breath.

Which she hoped was a long time from coming.

"_And, as in uffish thought he stood, the Jabberwock, with eyes of flame-" _Now her voice really was breaking up. Tears began to make her eyes itch and she wiped at them hastily. It would do her no good to break down completely here, not when she still held on to her last strands of sanity. She had slain the dreaded Jabberwocky, so surely this imprisonment should be nothing?

But it wasn't just nothing. In fact, it was _some_thing. And a very bad something at that.

She knew from the weariness in her bones that this time around there wasn't a mad Hatter in the castle with her, or a white rabbit or a dormouse or a bloodhound or a pair of twins. She was terribly, terribly alone.

Or so she thought.

_"__Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, and burbled as it came!" _Alice was so caught up in her ramblings that she didn't see the blue butterfly that fluttered through the bars of her prison door and glided through the air.

Why would she notice something as insignificant as a butterfly, when she was on the verge of insanity? She wasn't very perceptive of her surroundings, for she didn't see the insect until he was hovering in front of her now tear-streaked face.

"Stupid girl, if Tarrant were to see you now he would weep," Absolem muttered. His wings twitched slightly from nerves as he landed on Alice's knee and perched there. His glare that he gave her, small though it was, made the Champion shudder.

_"__One, two! One, two! And through and through the vorpal blade went snicker-snack!"_ The Champion continued. She didn't notice as Absolem flapped his wings angrily in a vain attempt to get her attention. _  
_

"Alice! Alice you naïve woman, would you listen to me? I know you can hear me," the butterfly all but shouted at her. He needed for her to listen to what he was telling her. There would be no hope of getting the Champion out of Crims if she went on acting as though she was mad.

_"__He left it dead, and with its head he went galumphing back- _Oh, hello, Absolem_. _I was just reciting a poem that I know. Do you know it?" Her unsteady gaze focused on the butterfly and he seemed to be trembling from what she could see. Or perhaps it the tears in her eyes were preventing her from seeing clearly. Either way, Absolem didn't look very pleased at all.

"Of course I know it; it's about _you_, you idiotic-" Absolem paused and sighed heavily. Alice was unstable at the moment, and if he was to say anything that could possibly offend her, he was done for. A forceful slap to her knee would result in his imminent demise. And then who would get a message out to the White Queen?

Unless Chessur- the bawling little coward that he was- decided to show up in Crims, the only hope that Underland had was a little blue butterfly. And the sanity of their Champion. So long as Alice could keep her mind in one piece and wasn't hurt that badly by the Knave, there was still a chance that Underland would be saved.

At the moment Mirana was organizing a rescue party, although it was unclear how long it would take until anyone sided with the White Queen showed up on Stayne's doorstep. Absolem was lucky that he could fly, but anyone else would have to reach Crims either on foot or by horse. Or by Bandersnatch, if the creature let anyone ride it; Alice was the only person granted that luxury.

Absolem shook himself from his errant thoughts and focused once again on the young woman in front of him. "Alice, you must listen to me. There are people coming to help you. The White Queen has assembled a group, or rather a small army, to come and free you. But you have to stay alive for their sake, stupid girl."

Alice froze at what he said and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "There are people coming…for me? But no, they'll be hurt. They mustn't come, Absolem. I don't want any more people hurt on my behalf. _"'And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy__! __O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in…his…joy…"_ She hiccupped as more tears tracked down her face.

Absolem shook his head. "Now is not the time for poetry. You're stronger than this, silly girl. Or have you forgotten who you are?"

Alice laughed, the sound of it echoing off the sparse walls of her prison. Her gaze turned harsh and it landed on the butterfly on her knee. "How could I possible forget who I am? I am the great Champion, the hero of Underland, the woman who is only good for having suitors thrown at her, doing the laundry or slaying troublesome Jabberwockies!" Her words were said with such venom that Absolem was sure some of it landed on him.

Sighing heavily, Absolem took off from his perch and chose to hover in front of her face. "I see this is going to be more difficult than I first thought. Let me put this in terms your muddled brain would understand-"

"My brain isn't muddled!" Alice protested in a whisper as her eyes darted over to the doorway. Stayne had come twice that day with a plate of scraps. It was only a matter of time before dinner rolled around. She hoped that Absolem would be gone long before that happened.

The butterfly sniffed haughtily. "So you say. The main reason I came here was to relay that which I have already told you, and to see that you're still alive. That way maybe Tarrant will finally eat something."

That caught Alice's attention from all the spitting remarks that were floating around in her head. "_What?_" she hissed. "Isn't…what happened to Tarrant?"

"After he tumbled out of the looking glass and onto the floor of Marmoreal _alone_, he's been acting madder than usual. No doubt he'll come to Crims to exact his revenge on the Knave of Hearts. Or haven't you realized what you've done to the milliner's off-kilter disposition?"

At the look of pure confusion that flitted across Alice's face, Absolem rolled his eyes slightly. "Stupid girl. Did you not see the look on his face when you prepared to leave Underland the second time _because you had something that needed to be done_?"

Alice flinched at the ferocity of the butterfly's words. "I _had_ to leave, Absolem! It…I had some things that needed doing, but I was coming back, I swear! The rabbit-hole was blocked-"

"Yes, I am well aware of that. I _do _live here, you know. But I'm not talking about that, Alice. I'm talking about your rash decision to drink that vile Jabberwocky blood before you looked around you. Everyone cared for you, though I still can't see why. You're as dense as all the women I've seen in the Otherworld, especially when it comes to your heart."

Alice propped herself up on her knees while regarding the butterfly with a guarded expression. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, please. Did you not see how happy Tarrant was when you were around? You two are so alike; both outcasts in your separate worlds and yet able to find a common bond in one other. You leaving cut him to the bone, but I had hoped that you'd realize that."

Absolem tilted his head to consider her better. "How must he have felt to finally find you after two years, only to have you slip away once again? You can only toy with a madman's emotions so much before they snap completely, you silly woman."

"I…I'm nothing like that! Tarrant was a close friend and nothing more…"

The butterfly chuckled softly. "You're a horrible liar, Alice. Hatred for the Knave and what he's done to Underland is just one of the reasons the Hatter despises the man. He also noticed how untoward Stayne was acting to you before. I'm willing to bet that Tarrant didn't appreciate his advances."

Alice gulped before turning her head down and fiddling with the hem of her dress. She did it partly out of habit and partly to conceal the fact that her hands were trembling. If what Absolem said was true…but no, it couldn't be. The Hatter had shown her a great deal of kindness to her upon her second trip to Underland, but-

But it couldn't be out of love.

It would have to be out of friendship and a connection that Absolem said ran deep between them. Tarrant understood her better than anyone from her world. He didn't mind her odd thoughts or her lack of a corset and stockings. He would talk to her about many things, among them what it would be like to fly and other such nonsense. He saw her for who she truly was: Alice Kingsleigh, Champion of Underland and successful businesswoman.

But what else? Alice had assumed at the time that Tarrant saw her as a close friend, but their conversation in her bedroom was nagging at the back of her mind. Something he had said to her had altered their relationship, friend or otherwise.

_"__And, well…Yer dear ta me too, Alice. I'd have come ta get ye even if th' Queen didn' need ye. Does that answer yer question?"_

Alice's heart skipped a beat. She, Alice Kingsleigh, was dear to Tarrant Hightopp. While the sound was crashing around her ears, pictures flashed through her head. The look of despair on his face when it was apparent she was leaving Underland…the brief look of him she stole before she vanished completely. He had looked forlorn, like a child that had just lost his best friend.

The vibrant green of his eyes were burned into her mind completely, the memory of their last conversation before they tumbled through the looking-glass replaying…the way his eyes had softened as they landed on her… that night on the balcony they'd shared before the Frabjous Day… and then the battle loomed once again before her, and she was saved by Tarrant before the Jabberwocky could kill her…

"I didn't come here to tell you how to live your life, Alice," Absolem said, kinder than he had been since he had first arrived. His voice jolted her from her memories, and she stared at him with a new understanding. "I only came to tell you what your heart has been saying all along. Love isn't that mad of a thing, when you think about it. Perhaps you'll give it a try once you get out of this horrid prison."

Alice nodded her head dimly, but she was still preoccupied with the revelation occurring inside her skull. Every sound was muffled, and she had to concentrate to hear what the butterfly was saying. Why was everything so hard to understand?

As if hearing her thoughts, Absolem spoke. "Silly girl, you've been dreaming. You of all people should know that."

He began to fade from her vision, but that didn't stop Alice from trying to reach out and touch him. When her hand went right through him, a chill went down her spine.

"Wait, Absolem! Are the others actually coming to save me, or is this all just a figment of my imagination?"

The translucent butterfly shook his head. "Dreams are very powerful tools in this land of magic and wonder, Alice. Whether this is real or not is up to you. You are, after all, the piece that holds this broken puzzle of a world together. Without you, everything falls apart."

Alice opened her mouth to ask Absolem one more question, but he vanished in complete silence and she was left facing a blank wall. She squeezed her eyes together tightly and then opened them cautiously.

She was still facing the patch of wall Absolem had disappeared in front of, but now she was lying down instead of kneeling. Echoes of their conversation rang through the air and Alice gathered the courage to smile where the butterfly had hovering.

_"__Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe,"_ she continued on, although she was unsure whether she had actually recited the poem aloud or just in her head. She found it didn't matter to her, though. The only thing that mattered was keeping her hope alive and not letting Stayne extinguish it. She was Underland's Champion, and she would see all of this through to the end.

_"__All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe."_

_

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_**AN**: So, what did you think? This story gets a tad bit darker before it gets lighter, but the next chapter will show exactly how the White Queen is planning her rescue of the Champion. You get three guesses as to who's first in line, and the first two don't count. :P

Read and review!


	16. Rain and Tears

**AN**: Here's the 16th chapter! Sorry it took me this long, but I had to edit it, and school's been crazy. And my Prom's on the weekend. So I will make this author's note short. Thanks to each and every one of you that reviewed, and I'm glad I managed to get you thinking about the last chapter (Dream or real? This chapter answers that question somewhat, but still leaves it open to interpretation). And I'm happy you liked the poem I wove in with the last chapter. I thought it only fitting. :D

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Credit goes to Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll.

And virtual cookies for _**LittlePlagueSpirit **_for correctly guessing the man who is first in line to rescue Alice. I hope the 16th chapter is a good enough prize for you!

And now, on with the show!

* * *

Rescue plans were always the most likely ones to go awry, as Mirana had learned long ago. No matter how carefully they were planned, or how long it took to get them just right, there was always a problem or two that would arise. Those problems would, in turn, either slow down or ruin the plan completely.

For Alice's sake, Mirana hoped that the plan she had concocted was only hindered and not sunk to the depths of Underland. It had taken her the better part of a night to labour over all the possibilities, so naturally she wanted Alice's rescue to happen without a hitch.

It would be much easier if it wasn't for Tarrant's prolonged mutterings and general abuse toward Chessur. It was doubtful he would ever forgive the shape shifter this time around, especially since their whole predicament centered on Chessur.

Tarrant had barely been able to contain his anger since Mirana had closed the door to their meeting room. His Outlandish accent had been veiled beneath his usual lisp, but a few times it had surfaced with great annoyance. Although annoyance wasn't really the proper word for it, Mirana mused. Anger, bitterness and barely concealed regret summed up the Hatter's moods much better.

The Hatter was slowly drowning in the vast sea of his emotions, and this time there was no Champion to rescue him. No Champion to calm him, to call him back, to remind him who he was. Mally was the closest thing he had to a lifeline right now, but she was currently on the other side of the door. And she was arguing with the Bandersnatch, if the muffled shouts were any indication.

"…Tarrant? Tarrant, are you listening?" Mirana's voice, as calm as a slowly bubbling brook, spoke into the previous silence of the room.

The Hatter in question jumped a little and, forgetting he was sitting in a chair, temporarily lost his balance. He righted himself before he fell, and he turned his attention upon the White Queen. He had been ignoring her for the better part of the meeting and instead chose to shoot Chessur glares that would have turned anyone else into stone.

"I…that is…stupid, slurvish…" Tarrant stuttered out, trying to rein in his wayward emotions and failing miserably at it. "Dannae what th' matter with me is, Mirana. I canna seem to…I mean, I'm not…hat?" he squeaked. He could not form sentences that made any sense right now. He needed to stay calm…calm? Was that it?

Mirana regarded him with a look that held much sympathy in it. She could only guess as to how Tarrant must be feeling, but it had to be breaking him from the inside out. He had been put under so much emotional strain already; if anything else was added to it he would surely collapse. Tarrant was too dear a friend of hers to allow that to happen.

"I know you are suffering right now, my friend," she said sadly. "But I must ask you to listen to what we have been saying. You need to know the plan if we are to make sure Alice is returned safely to us." At this Mirana gave Chessur a rather pointed glare.

The cowardly cat, for his part, gathered up the courage to look the Queen in the eye. "The plan seems straightforward to me, Mirana. We just need to execute it." His tail flicked back and forth in annoyance and a bit of fear. He was sitting on the desk between the White Queen and Tarrant, which was far from where he wanted to be. He would have preferred to be halfway to Witzend at the moment.

"Aye, ye bloody cat, but if ye hadn' let _th'_ Alice go with tha' guddler's scut-" Tarrant made an indescribable noise in his throat while his eyes flickered from green to amber.

"Please, Tarrant," Mirana implored him. "You need to keep your head about you right now."

Tarrant let a mad laugh escape his lips. "It's too late for that, my Queen. It seems I've already lost it." Behind those fiery eyes there lingered sadness; a void that couldn't be filled until Alice returned.

"Yes, but we can't have you going and losing your heart as well, can we?" Chessur asked. His eyes were glinting with curiousity. He knew the reason for Tarrant's latest outbursts; it was as clear as the water in the Pool of Tears. It had been hinted at several times, but no one was brave enough to point it out to the madman in question.

"Chessur…" Mirana warned. She couldn't let him talk like this to Tarrant, at least not now. He was unstable as it was. Adding _this_ to the mix would end in chaos for the cat. Not that he seemed to care at the moment; he had stood up and was facing the Hatter with little fear.

"You know I'm right, Mirana," Chessur drawled. He glanced once at the Queen before turning to face Tarrant with all the courage he could muster. "You've been avoiding the inevitable since Alice was stolen away by the Knave. In fact, I'm willing to wager you've been avoiding it since she downed that vile Jabberwocky blood and vanished to her world. You wallowed in self-pity then, much like you are doing now. You probably would have continued to do so until Mirana asked you to fetch Alice back."

Here Chessur paused to gauge Tarrant's reaction to what he had said. It would seem the Hatter was in quite some shock at the moment and the look he was giving the cat confirmed it. His eyes were tinted with a green so faint it was grey and the knuckles gripping the arms of his chair were white. As it appeared he wasn't going to be interrupted, Chessur continued.

"You know what I'm talking about, don't you? And don't try and play the insanity card with me; we're all mad here and you know it. I'm rather surprised you haven't left yet to go and get Miss Kingsleigh back. I would have thought she was more important to you than that. After all, madness and curiousity have always gone hand in hand." Chessur grinned widely as his body vanished in the blink of an eye until all that was left was his smile. Even that eventually disappeared and Tarrant was left facing thin air.

Mirana was shell-shocked. Her wide eyes regarded the spot that Chessur had just finished occupying before moving her gaze to Tarrant. She could almost hear the gears in his mind as they whirred in an attempt to catch up to what Chessur had said. For once, the cat had actually been…helpful. Once Alice was returned to them Mirana would have to thank him.

Tarrant's eyes shifted between a fair few colours before they settled on an emerald green. They stared at a spot above Mirana's shoulder as his thoughts undoubtedly wandered to a certain Champion. He seemed unaware that the colour of his clothes had just brightened considerably and his eyes were once again vibrant.

"Alice…" Tarrant whispered with a faraway look on his face. After a prolonged stare at the back wall the Hatter shook his head as if he was suddenly ashamed of his thoughts. His eyes landed on the Queen and now he looked almost apologetic. "M-Mirana, I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to…" he gulped and waited to hear what she would say.

Mirana herself was close to chuckling. Tarrant was such an open book when it came to his emotions that it was hard not to guess what he was feeling. When he did express himself openly though, he became unnaturally self-conscious. "There is no need for apologies, my friend. I only hope that Chessur's words weren't too...forward, that's all."

Tarrant grinned, which revealed the gap between his front teeth. "Forward isn't quite the word I would choose, Mirana. Although I can see the reason for all of your concern, I am not angry at Chessur. In fact, for once in my life I do not have the overwhelming desire to bash him in the head with a teapot."

Mirana felt like breathing a sigh of relief, but instead she settled on a faint smile of her own. "I'm glad, Tarrant. We have had little reason to be happy in Underland as of late, but I hope to remedy that shortly. I only have one question left for you: will you help us to bring Alice back?"

Tarrant grinned even wider at that and stood up. He swept his hat off his head and bowed in one swift movement. Straightening up to face his Queen, he replied, "It would be my deepest honour, Mirana. I will make sure our Alice is safely returned to us."

Mirana nodded at his answer. She had already known in her heart that Tarrant would accept her offer, but she had needed to ask nonetheless. "Thank you, my friend. You shall leave this coming night as soon as the moon is up. You will ride hard to Crims on the best horses our stables can provide you. Anyone who wishes to aid you in your quest will be allowed to do so."

Tarrant opened his mouth to say one more thing, but a sudden scuffle from outside the room's door made him pause in confusion. Both he and the Queen turned their heads to quizzically regard the door as it was burst open. In front of them stood the Bandersnatch with a dormouse atop its head, and the latter did not look pleased.

"You're not goin' into Salazen Grum without me, Tarrant!" Mally's voice, no matter how small it was, seemed to resonate throughout the entire room. She wouldn't allow him to willingly go into that demonic place without some form of help. It would be a suicide mission otherwise, and Mally wasn't going to allow anything to happen to Tarrant.

Although she knew with a painful tightness in her heart that his attentions toward Alice were more than friendly, Mally was still Tarrant's friend. And as his friend she was obligated to make sure he wasn't harmed. That wasn't to say that Tarrant couldn't hold his own in a fight. The battle on the Frabjous Day had erased any fears she had of that.

She was protective of the Hatter more than anything, but she knew there would come a time when she would have to let him go. Until then she would look out for him like she had done for so many years, before and during the Red Queen's reign.

Mirana's eyes lit up in pure happiness. "Are you saying you wish to accompany Tarrant on his journey to rescue Alice?" She was shocked at Mally's behaviour. Mirana knew the mouse despised the Champion, but perhaps there was hope for their friendship after all. They said that Time healed all things, but seldom had the Queen believed that until now.

"Aye, that I am," Mally said with a hint of pride in her voice. "And I believe this beast," she tapped the Bandersnatch's head with the hilt of her sword, "would like to come as well." The giant creature grunted in agreement as it looked at Mirana with its golden eyes.

"Very well. I shall inform the others of the plan. Perhaps they will help us as well. We are, after all, in Alice's debt." Mirana rose from her seat and walked around the table to stand beside Tarrant. Words weren't enough to describe the love she felt for her friends at the moment. That Mally was able to put aside her past dislike of Alice in favour of a common bond was mind-boggling to the Queen. Tarrant's willingness she had expected, but Mally's? Mirana had not anticipated that.

As she beckoned to her friends and they began to walk out of the room, something else entered it. Or rather, some_one_ else. A blue butterfly glided through the air and hovered in front of Mirana's face. Absolem looked out of breath, as if he had flown a great distance. Before anyone could open their mouth to speak, the keeper of the Oraculum began to talk.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be quick with your plan. The Dreamer is fading fast, and without aid from anyone she will be lost from us forever, both in body and in mind."

Mirana heard someone inhale sharply, and she didn't have to turn around to see the look of shock that was on Tarrant's face. He stared at the butterfly like it was something foreign and muttered under his breath in Outlandish.

"Absolem? What do you mean? What is happening to Alice?" Mirana's voice cracked under the pressure. It would seem the past few days were finally catching up to her.

"What I _mean_," the butterfly said loud enough for everyone in the castle to hear, "Is Alice is becoming weaker by the second, and it is starting to show around Underland. Have you looked out a window lately?"

Mirana's eyes widened. But no, the butterfly couldn't possibly mean what she thought he did. Nothing like that had happened since her sister had taken the throne on the Horunvendush Day. Surely Absolem was mistaken?

But when Mirana followed the butterfly as he exited the room and flew over to the nearest window, she knew that her thoughts were wrong. Her footsteps sounded oddly loud in the quiet of the castle and more noise was heard as Tarrant hastily followed his Queen.

When Mirana reached the window she stopped in her tracks. The simple paned glass seemed to be coloured a dark grey. It was only when she focused on the sky beyond the window that she realized what she was looking at was menacing storm clouds. The atmosphere was clogged and a feeling of misery hung in the air.

What made Mirana's breathing hitch in sorrow was the water she saw trailing down the glass.

She found it ironic how closely rain resembled tears.

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**AN**: A melancholy chapter, but the rescue party is on the way!

Read and review :)


	17. Stained Glass Halls

**AN**: I am so sorry that it took me this long to update! Life kind of got in the way of anything not related to schoolwork for the past week or so, but I finally found the time to update. It's a longer chapter than normal too, and I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks to all of my lovely reviewers. I believe we're bordering on 130 reviews? Wow. I cannot thank all of you enough for all of your faith and support for my not-so-little story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll own everything else. Oh, and O.A.R owns the song the quote below was taken from.

Happy chapter 17!

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_How many times can I break 'til I shatter?_

- O.A.R, _Shattered (Turn the Car Around) _

The line between dreams and reality was so blurred that Alice couldn't tell what was in her head and what was corporeal.

She found herself confused; far more confused than she had ever been in her life. It wasn't just the place she was currently in that caused her alarm; it was _how_ she had gotten there. The last thing she had remembered was eating the scraps that Stayne had brought her…After that everything faded into blackness and chaos.

That was a stark contrast to the luminous room she was now in. She blinked at the light in the room she was sitting in, and then something else struck her as odd. The entire room was flooded with light.

Her cell had been filled with tiny slats of sunlight. The amount there was nothing compared to the volume of brightness that was cascading into the hall through broken stained glass windows. She brought her hand up to shield her poor eyes that were unaccustomed to this lack of darkness.

But why was she here? She had no memory of walking to this…hall. In fact, she only knew of one other time she had been here. It was during the reign of the Bloody Big Head, and Alice had been a giant then. Eating too much upelkuchen was bad for your height.

A light clicked on in her head. Everything had turned black _after_ she had eaten. It must have been something to do with the food. Perhaps Stayne had slipped something into the scraps and brought her here.

A gasp escaped her lips as her mind wandered back to their encounter in the hallway. If he had done anything else to her while she was unconscious… She looked down and saw that her dress was still there, as muddy and torn as ever. Letting out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in, Alice relaxed somewhat.

She moved to brush her hair out of her face, but she stopped abruptly when her hands were in mid-air. Her ears had caught a faint clinking sound of metal dragging along stone. Alice's tired eyes focused on her upturned hands and she suddenly knew where the sound was coming from.

Her hands were encased in heavy manacles.

She jerked her arms out from her body and twisted her head around to see where the chains were coming from. Her eyes travelled up the length of metal and they landed on the legs of the Red Queen's throne. She had been handcuffed to Iracebeth's throne.

She gave a halfhearted jerk to the shackles in the hope that the chair wasn't bolted to the ground. They resisted all attempts she gave, however, and Alice soon came to the realization that she wasn't going anywhere. Panting slightly, she rested her arms on her knees and sat still.

She couldn't escape right now. Unless the Knave was willing to hand over the key to the handcuffs, Alice would be left here for quite some time. And time wasn't on her side anymore. Time held her here under the Knave's control. Time kept the Hatter from her.

Time delayed her rescue.

Alice had all but given up hope on the thought of a rescue. It seemed too faraway and lavish a thing to occur to her. She instead resigned herself to the belief that no one was coming for her. After all, hadn't the Knave said that the White Queen wouldn't risk anything with her still imprisoned here?

With a final fruitless tug against her bonds Alice shifted into a more comfortable spot on the hard marble floor. As long as she was here she wouldn't let the Knave see how much she was suffering. Her mental pain was worse than the physical anguish. It was worse than the cramps in her stomach from hunger or the bruises on her arms and legs from the Knave's daily visits.

No, all of the pain she was experiencing was nothing compared to the shattered state of her mind. The time in the castle had tested her very idea of what was sane. She wasn't sure what the word sane meant anymore. She had retreated so far back into her mind that Alice wasn't sure if she could resurface.

"Ah, so you finally decided to wake up."

Alice jumped in shock and shrieked so loudly that a loose pane of glass fell to the floor. She ignored that and instead looked upon the man that had entered the room. Stayne gave her a chilling smirk before sitting down in the Red Queen's vacated throne. He seemed to contemplate something before turning his head to regard the quivering young woman beside him.

"Really now, Alice. You're not afraid of me, are you?" Stayne raised his eyebrows, as if he was genuinely contemplating this sentence. His one uncovered eye betrayed him though; it glittered with a manic hunger as he gazed at her.

"You know I bloody well am not!" Alice spat. She didn't care how unladylike she was or how badly she was cursing. She had a deeply rooted dislike and fear for the feral monster in the room with her. She would surely be excused for any unseemly behaviour.

Instead of shocking the Knave like she had hoped, her words seemed to make him grin wider. "Temper, Alice. Have I managed to teach you no manners since you've arrived here?" He didn't wait for her response and decided to glance down instead at the chains connected to the throne.

Alice caught on to what he was thinking, but before she could do anything Stayne grabbed the metal and jerked the chain so hard Alice was pulled off the ground. She landed a few feet closer to the Knave, who was now grinning like the predator he was.

She struggled against his grasp, but his grip was too strong for her. With another pull she was dragged a further foot across the marble tile floor. Another good tug and she would be right next to him. She jerked her hands as hard as she could to no avail. Her frightened eyes landed on the Knave and she silently pleaded for him to let her go.

Stayne seemed to ignore her however, and with one more pull Alice was pressed up against the side of the throne. The Knave slowly coiled the loose chain around his hand and forced Alice to go from sitting to kneeling beside Stayne.

Alice glared as hard as she could at him. How dare he try to take advantage of her like this? She wasn't some object to be toyed with. She still had her sanity; Stayne hadn't broken her completely yet. Until then she would continue to defy him, no matter how much it taxed her mind and body.

"There now, Alice. You're not so tough now, are you?" Stayne whispered as he brought his other hand up to stroke her face. The look in his eye chilled her to the bone. How could the Red Queen ever have stood having him around?

"I'm tougher than you think," Alice muttered. She stared into those cold and pitiless eyes for a second before she decided to do something utterly reckless. She spit in the Knave's face.

Stayne almost instantly released her; his grip slackened as he spun away from her and began to claw at his face. The chains slithered out of his grasp and landed on the floor. Alice used this momentary leverage to spring as far away as possible from the Knave that her bonds would allow.

Her move would cost her dearly, but it had felt so good to finally spit in the face of the man that had made Underland a living hell. No matter the price she would pay for her act of rebellion, Alice knew it was worth it.

"You conniving wretch!" Stayne roared. He had finally wiped the spit off his face and now he whirled around to face Alice with a look of such fury that it made her shiver. Perhaps her reckless impulse wasn't that well-founded after all. "How dare you! Who do you think you are?"

Alice merely trembled on the spot as the Knave stared her down. She flinched as he slowly stood up and began to walk toward her. His armour clinked with every footstep that he took and he kicked aside the chains when he came nearer to her.

The Champion moved her arms back into place in her lap when her chains were displaced and she faced the Knave with all the fearlessness she could muster. From where she was sitting Stayne towered over her and Alice felt like a small child compared to him.

"You are going to regret that act of revolt," Stayne growled. As he reached her he yanked the chains up and forced her to stand.

Alice looked upon him with little fear. She knew he couldn't do anything too drastic to her right now. After all, as long as the Queen knew she was here, the Champion was relatively safe. As long as she had that trump card to play with she was fine. She would worry about her security when that particular safety net's lifespan ran out.

"What will happen to you when the White Queen finds out you've hurt me, or worse?" Alice whispered with more than a hint of spite in her voice. "You're already living on borrowed time, Stayne. And Time isn't too forgiving in Underland, remember?"

In place of an answer Stayne jerked on her chains and brought her close enough to him that she could feel his breath tickle her face. He stared down at her and she stayed defiantly in place. She showed no fear or weakness.

Stayne seemed to think better of whatever was going through his mind, because he exhaled heavily and slowly stepped away from her. The chains slipped through his hand and fell to the ground, the sound as they hit the ground echoing loudly.

"Fine Um, you've won this time around," Stayne whispered. His eye bore into hers and for the first time Alice shivered under the monstrous look in it. "But you will break eventually."

The Knave turned around at that moment and began to walk down the steps from the throne and away from her. Alice would have felt safer if it wasn't for the chilling air Stayne had left with her. She tried to rub her cold arms when she remembered that her hands were still shackled together.

Instead she chose to watch the devil himself as he left the once-grand throne room. Stayne had almost walked halfway across the hall when a harsh noise stopped him in his tracks. He turned his head around to try and pinpoint where exactly the noise was coming from. Alice too moved her head about; she didn't know where the noise was, but she knew what it belonged to.

Another discordant roar filled the ruined hall and Alice's heart leapt into her throat as she recalled the beast that had uttered it. The Bandersnatch had come to her rescue at last. Alice's mouth turned up into a giant grin; she was no longer alone in her prison; she finally had a friend.

Stayne seemed to realize a second later who the voice belonged to, for he turned around on his heel and began to stride back to Alice. He fingered the hilt of his sword as he walked and a deathly grimace was stuck on his face. His uninjured eye sought her out where she was sitting, and it seemed to light up in manic glee.

He was going to kill her. That was the only thought racing through Alice's head as she stood up and tried to gauge a point of escape from the room. However, the heavy manacles were binding her to the throne; she couldn't move more than it allowed her.

Before Stayne could begin ascending the steps to her, a loud crash echoed throughout the room and she slid to her knees in shock. Alice looked up for a brief second before shielding herself as best she could; bits of glass were raining down on her. Something had jumped through one of the windows near her, but she didn't want to open her eyes to see what it was just yet.

A gasp sounded close to her, and Alice gradually lowered her chained arms and gazed shakily around her. She froze when her gaze focused in front of her. The Bandersnatch was crouching on the stone steps between her and Stayne. It was panting heavily and it looked to be coated in a fine layer of glass crumbs.

A look to her left gave Alice the answer to her earlier question. The Bandersnatch had jumped through one of the stained glass windows. It had chosen the right one too; now Alice had a barrier of protection from Stayne. A giant, furry, growling sort of protection.

She noticed it was Stayne who had gasped, for his face was drawn in a kind of shock that only the condemned wore. He regarded the Bandersnatch with confusion and fear. His hand, which gripped the hilt of his sword like a lifeline, was trembling immensely.

"Tha's right, ya sniveling coward, you'd best stay back!"

Alice came close to laughing in relief as she head another familiar voice speak from atop the Bandersnatch's head. She hadn't noticed the dormouse at first; she was so tiny that it was possible to miss her if you didn't pay close attention. Mallymkun was standing as tall as she could and was brandishing her favourite sword. Why she had come to Crims was beyond Alice, but she welcomed the extra company.

Mally seemed rather pleased with herself and she gave a scornful nod of her head to the Knave before turning around to face Alice. The Bandersnatch would be able to hold Stayne off for now without her help. She slid down the beast's back and hopped down to the floor. She scurried over to Alice and actually had a look of worry on her face.

"Terribly sorry it took us this long to come get ya," Mally squeaked out. She took one look at the manacles and the angry look in her eyes faded to one of sadness and regret. Alice lowered her hands and the mouse gently poked around the manacles with her sword.

"M-Mallymkun," Alice said with a trembling voice. "Why are you here?"

Instead of being offended, the dormouse glanced at her with a hurt look on her face. "Well, I couldn't very well let Tarrant come here by himself. It woulda been suicide." She gazed back at the handcuffs and started to prod at them and inserted the tip of her sword into the keyholes.

"Tarrant? No, Mally. He shouldn't have-"

Any further hope of conversation was shattered as the Bandersnatch let a roar of fury loose in the air. The Knave had decided to chance hitting the creature, and it limped a few steps away as it nursed a gash on its leg. Blood had dripped a little on the steps and Alice felt slightly nauseous. She hoped the Bandersnatch would be alright, but its safety was the least of her worries right now.

Casting a look of disdain at the wounded beast, Stayne turned his head and regarded the dormouse and Alice. Mally had paused in her attempt to unlock the heavy manacles and she was frozen in pure fear of the Knave. Alice tried to gather up what courage she could but she found she couldn't move. She felt as though she was ten times heavier than normal and each move took a lifetime to complete.

"I think it's time for you to break, Alice," Stayne growled in a low voice. He brought his sword out of its sheath and trained it in front of him. The tip of it was pointed directly at Alice's heart.

Just as Alice was preparing to gather Mally up in her hands and shield her with her life, a new noise filled the room. The grating sound of wood rubbing against stone made Alice's ears hurt. Mally perked up from where she stood and she gazed down the length of the hall in curiousity.

Alice did so as well, and watched in fascination as the door to the Red Queen's throne room was slowly pushed open. A figure appeared from the shadows cast by the open entranceway, and Alice's heart hammered hard beneath her ribs. Stayne noticed the change of expression on the Champion's face and he carefully turned around to face the open doorway.

The Knave snarled in rage as he raised his sword in front of him. It couldn't be _him_, of all people. He should have killed him when he'd had the chance. He had dreamed of it so many times during his banishment in the Outlands.

The Hatter pushed the door open the rest of the way with one hand, the other resting on a long sword. The blade glinted in the sudden rush of sunlight. His face was still cast in shadows, but it was illuminated as he stepped into the throne room. He turned his head up and his eyes landed on the Knave.

Tarrant's irises darkened to a fiery orange as they took in the scene around the Red Queen's former right-hand man. They flickered to Alice and changed for a fraction of a second to an emerald green before turning so dark an orange that it was almost red as they found Stayne once more.

"If ye lay one _hand_ on th' lass," Tarrant growled in his Outlandish accent, "I swear ye won't walk out o' here alive, Ilosovic."

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**AN**: There you go. The plot thickens here, and the action finally gets interesting.

Read and review!


	18. Those in Glass Houses

**AN**: Terribly sorry it took me this long to update, but I've run out of pre-written chapters, so I spent the majority of yesterday writing this up. And, four hours and 4,527 words later, the eighteenth chapter is done! I'm trying to decide if I want to write one or two more chapters after this. This particular chapter was my favourite to write, although it is the darkest and bloodiest. You have been warned. Thank you to all of my reviewers, who continue to inspire me to write my story!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, Tim Burton and Lewis Carroll do. Credit for the song quotation is shown below. Although, with any luck I'll own a copy of the DVD on Tuesday!

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_Don't you know we're all in this fight?_

_You fall, we fall together_

_We call to arms tonight_

- Bury the Bully, _Army of Love_

The world had been sufficiently turned upside down. Nothing was as it seemed anymore. If Alice hadn't been able to feel the cold marble floor beneath her, she wouldn't have been able to say for sure where she was. All she knew was Tarrant was within walking distance from her.

One person stood in the way of her rescue, however. The Knave had positioned himself directly in her line of sight. His sword was still raised in front of him as if to reassure himself that he was still in control, when in fact he wasn't.

Stayne had lost control of everything surrounding him when Alice's rescue party had come crashing through a window and through the front door. Tarrant was a force to be reckoned with, especially given his enraged temper at the moment. He was regarding the Knave with a death glare and his eyes looked like they were on fire.

The dormouse had since recovered from her initial shock and now she hurried back to Alice's manacles. Mally stabbed at them in utter anger, her tiny brows furrowed. She wasn't sure how long it would take to unlock Alice from her chains, but the mouse was determined that she would get them off. Time was the only unknown factor.

As long as Tarrant could keep the Knave occupied, Alice's rescue should go off without difficulty. With the Bandersnatch out for the time being, the mad Hatter was the only means of defence against anything the Knave did.

"Keep yer eyes on me, Alice," Mally muttered. "Don't look up at them when they're fightin', alrigh'?" The last thing the mouse needed was Alice glancing over at Tarrant and Stayne as they fought. Her condition was fragile enough without seeing the undoubtedly bloody battle that would soon ensue. She had seen her fair share of nightmares; she didn't need another.

Alice nodded numbly from where she sat. Her eyes drifted over to where Tarrant was but Alice snapped them back before she could see anything. She looked down at Mally and watched as the mouse peered into the manacle keyhole in an attempt to see how to unlock it.

"Mallymkun, Absolem came to visit me in my prison, did you know that?" Alice asked. Her voice was scratchy all of a sudden and she flinched as she heard the clinking of Stayne's armour as he descended the steps.

Mally paused and glanced up at the Champion. "No, tha' I wasn't aware of. Absolem had been gone for some time, but we had all assumed he just went ta the Otherworld."

The confounded butterfly had come to see the Champion in her cell? Instead of outright saying that, he chose to flutter into Marmoreal's castle without so much as an explanation. He had nerve, Absolem did. That was probably the reason he was still alive. Mally attacked the manacles with new resolve as she mulled those thoughts over.

"Yes, he came to me. Although I can hardly tell if it was a dream or if it…wasn't. He gave me some good advice, though." Alice looked over at the windows of the hall and at the ripped and faded tapestries.

"Oh, did he now?" Mally responded automatically. She didn't really care what Absolem had said, the _slurvish _butterfly. She was talking to keep Alice's attention trained on the mouse and not at the two men.

"Yes, he did," Alice said with a faraway look on her face. "It concerned my heart, too."

Absolem's words had done nothing to help the poor Champion's frail conscience. If anything they had only helped to crack her resolve even more. She found herself questioning everything around her, and the sudden appearance of the Hatter only made her heart twist more. She didn't know what to believe anymore. She just wanted to be released from her prison.

How to escape from the incarceration in her _mind_ was a whole other issue.

"I'm sure it did," Mallymkun muttered. She heard a tiny click and the manacles sprang open. She let out a sigh of triumph and stepped back, allowing the heavy metal to fall to the ground. Since the manacles were connected, she had only needed to pick one lock.

"There ya go," Mally said in a pleased tone. She turned from Alice and observed the Bandersnatch. The creature was licking his wound, which looked deeper now that the excess blood had been wiped away. Hopefully he would be able to walk.

She had let her attention slip for a second too long, however. Alice gasped loudly and a scuffling sound behind the dormouse indicated she was trying to stand up. Mally whirled around, cursing something, and wondered how exactly she was supposed to stop a fully-sized Alice from running straight into the fray.

Alice ignored everything around her. The Knave had advanced upon the Hatter and now they circled each other. Both had predatory looks on their faces, but Tarrant's was more protective than anything else. The Hatter noticed her on the top of the steps and he faltered for a second.

Tarrant gave her a quick shake of his head. "Nae, lass," he muttered loud enough for her to hear. Alice needed to stay back and away from him. He was so close to losing his sanity already that if she came near him, he wasn't sure what his actions could be. He could hurt her or worse, and he had vowed to never, _ever_ do that.

His skull felt too small for the voices that were screeching inside it. Some were telling him to kill the Knave right then and _there_. The guddler's scut deserved it for everything he had done to Alice and Underland. Then there were the quieter, more logical voices saying to bide his time and wait for an opening. Only then would he be able to injure the Knave and get Alice away from him.

There was just one flaw with that plan. The Hatter had never been a very logical man. Even before the Horunvendesh Day, he had been eccentric. Now, when his madness was threatening to take over, he didn't care for the thought-out plan. He wanted to _kill_ the Knave.

He knew deep inside himself that he wouldn't be able to do it. With Alice sheer feet away, he would be merely holding the Knave back instead of actually fighting him. After all, how could he protect Alice if she witnessed him in the worst of his madness? Anything he did would scar her mentally for the rest of her life.

Alice swayed on the spot. She was unsure what to do. The Hatter had warned her, but she still didn't want to see him harmed…she took a shaky step forward but she bumped into something solid. And strangely warm.

Looking down, Alice saw what had blocked her path: the Bandersnatch had manoeuvred itself between Alice and the two other men. Its wound was licked clean, but a large red gash indicated where it was. It was panting slightly and it sensitive gaze bored into hers. It didn't want her hurt any more than Tarrant did.

"Looks like that oaf is the only one with any brains around here," Mally squeaked. She sheathed her sword and scurried over to the Bandersnatch's leg. Grabbing a wad of fur she began to climb until she was perched on its back. Turning to face Alice, Mally sighed. "Ya can't interfere, Alice. It's their fight, not yours."

"Not my fight?" Alice asked. Her gaze suddenly turned harsh. "It bloody well _is_ my fight, Mally. I've been locked up, beaten, half-starved and God knows what else! It's because of _him_ that I'm here!" she gestured at the Knave, who turned around as Alice's voice grew louder.

The hall seemed to echo in silence once Alice finished speaking. Suddenly all of the attention was on her, and she felt terribly out of place. It was as if she was three inches tall all over again; everything seemed too oversized to her and she would have welcomed crawling into a dark hole at the moment.

She could have laughed at the irony of that thought.

"Alice," Stayne murmured. "Didn't you ever learn to mind your own business?" he tilted his head to look at her better.

"You can't say that if it's my business to begin with," Alice hissed. There was no way she was just going to hop onto the Bandersnatch's back and leave the Hatter here to fight Stayne. Tarrant had saved her life once. It was her turn to repay the favour.

"Alice-" Mally began, but she was cut off as Alice held up a hand in the air. She would no longer stand demurely in place as others ran her life for her. Was she not the Champion of Underland, the slayer of the Jabberwocky?

"I am tired of being played a fool," the blonde muttered. She stepped around the Bandersnatch and began to descend the marble steps. Her skirt rustled as she went and she had to squint her eyes as she passed through beam after beam of sunlight.

"I am tired of being used as an object only to be thrown away after. I am tired of being treated like a fragile piece of glass." Alice reached the end of the steps and stopped meters away from Stayne. She crossed her arms rather contritely and stared him down with all of the courage she could muster. She hoped she had enough muchness for this fight.

"Well, look who grew a backbone," a new voice purred.

Everyone turned their heads to see an eerie grin float through the air and hover beside Alice's head. The rest of Chessur's body appeared and he floated by the Champion. He winked slowly at her before turning to glance at Stayne with as much nerve as he had ever shown. The Knave looked completely traumatized.

The Hatter, on the other hand…the look on his face changed rapidly from relief to anger and back again. His feelings toward the Cheshire cat were still rickety and on the verge of becoming murderous. What the cowardly cat was doing here was a mystery that Tarrant hoped would be answered shortly.

"Now, if you'll excuse me for a second," Chessur said, inclining his head once more at Alice, "there's something I've been dying to do."

He vanished and the air seemed to pop as Chessur materialized in front of the Knave. He grinned manically before reaching out with an arm and drawing out his claws. In one movement he reached back and swiped the Knave across his sinister face.

Everything thereafter exploded into a flurry of movement. Chessur scratched Stayne once more before he vanished, head to tail. The Knave was spitting obscenities as blood ran down his face. He dropped his sword to the ground and brought his gloved hands up to feel the claw marks.

Alice was about to go up and kick the sword out of the way when someone was suddenly standing in front of her. Someone she had not seen for what felt like an eternity. Alice's eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at the man that had helped her so much along the path to regain her muchness.

The Hatter looked like he was having trouble deciding what emotion to feel at the moment. His eyes shifted from an emerald green to a dark shade of grey to a bright lilac as they met hers. He was still gripping the hilt of his sword, but his hand was shaking so much that the blade was trembling in the noonday light.

"A-Alice…" Tarrant stuttered while his eyes shifted from green to grey as they roamed over the various cuts and bruises on her arms. When he saw the extent of her wounds, he looked like he was going to cry.

The Champion's heart was close to bursting. She reached up to cover the Hatter's hand holding the sword in both of her own. Tarrant's hand almost immediately stopped trembling and he looked down at the sword like it was something evil.

"Tarrant," Alice murmured. The Hatter brought his face up again and his eyes were a dark green. "You needn't cry over me. There are more mental wounds than physical ones. Those are the trickiest to heal, with Time being the only antidote."

"Aye, and Time isn't a very pleasant fellow either," the Hatter answered. He still looked to be on the verge of madness. Now that he had seen what Stayne had done to Alice, he was closer than ever to killing the man. Chessur had helped to some extent, but the Knave was still feet from them and he wasn't happy.

"Not that I enjoy breaking up this touching interlude," a voice at Alice's ear whispered. "But there's still a very volatile man in the room with us." Chessur appeared once more inside the hall and he curled up in mid-air as he licked his paws clean. He glanced curiously at Alice before vanishing once more.

A terrible screeching sound brought Alice and the Hatter out of their reverie and both of them whirled around. The Knave had bent down to retrieve his sword and now he dragged it along the marble floor. Stayne had wiped all the blood off his face, but long claw marks still remained from Chessur's impromptu attack. His eye patch had been shredded a bit and there was one thin gash down the side of his face that passed over his other eye.

The Hatter raised his sword in front of him once more and moved to shield Alice from the Knave. If anyone was going to be injured in this fight, it certainly wouldn't be her. He had already let her mother down enough as it was. He had promised that he wouldn't allow Alice to be injured, but the bruises on her arms were proof that he had failed.

Without a word the Knave lunged at Tarrant, who brought his sword up just in time to deflect the man's blow. The Hatter gently shoved Alice backwards with his free hand as he parried another swing of Stayne's sword. Moving off to the side of the throne room Alice watched in horrified curiousity as the Hatter duelled with Stayne like the blade was an extension of his arm.

Both men were equally matched; there was no doubt of that. Each deflected the other's blows with seeming ease, much like they had done on the Frabjous Day. They moved across the floor and Alice followed them at a distance. It appeared that neither was going to get the upper hand.

That was, until Tarrant made a costly mistake.

He turned his head slightly to glance at Alice, to make sure she was alright. He nearly stopped cold at the sight of her trembling, cut and bruised form. His eyes flickered from orange to green, and he lowered his weapon a little.

Alice shook her head. She shouldn't have been standing so close to him; she was a distraction that might cost Tarrant his life. She mentally willed for him to snap his attention back to the Knave.

Stayne took advantage of the Hatter's lack of concentration and swung his blade upward. Tarrant recovered from the shock of seeing Alice so little and helpless, but at a second too late. He tried to move his sword down to deflect the Knave's attack, but his opponent's blade hit the hilt of Tarrant's sword and knocked it out of his hand. The silver blade flew through the air, somersaulting many times before it fell with a clang to the floor.

Tarrant didn't have any time to recover.

Alice could have sworn Time slowed as the hilt of Stayne's sword struck the side of Tarrant's head and he was knocked to the floor. His hat, which always defied the laws of gravity, fell off his head and rolled across the marble tiles. It stopped several feet from where the Hatter now lay.

"_No!_" Alice and Mally screeched while the Bandersnatch roared in fury.

Alice was rooted on the spot as her heart pounded in her chest. Tarrant had to get up, he _had_ to. There was no way he could be dead. New tears flooded her eyes as her knees gave beneath her and she fell to the floor. She gazed at Tarrant's motionless body while the Knave chuckled darkly while he stood over the milliner.

He suddenly stilled and turned slowly around to where Alice was kneeling. She had fisted her hands in her dress and now her body shook as she sobbed uncontrollably. Stayne smirked widely. Now that the Hatter was out of the way, he could take care of Alice before she slipped away from him once more.

She barely noticed as Stayne walked over to her. Mally watched in pure fear as Alice raised her head and her tear-streaked face met Stayne's scarred one. A hardened look took over the Champion's eyes and she got to her feet as the Knave stood in front of her.

"I'm going to enjoy this, Alice," Stayne murmured.

Alice glared at him and barely managed to move before Stayne brought his sword down on the spot where she had stood moments earlier. She skittered away across the floor and dashed to where the Hatter's sword had fallen such a short while ago. The Knave caught on to what she was doing and ran after her. He had an advantage over her; his long legs carried him to where she was quicker than Alice had first thought.

She grasped the handle of the sword with both hands and swung it around to face Stayne just as he tried to deliver a blow of his own.

The impact of Stayne's sword against her own jarred Alice to the bone. Her arms were shaking greatly now, and with a jolt of fear she noticed that the Hatter's sword was a great deal longer and heavier than the Vorpal blade. She was having a hard time keeping it in front of her.

The Knave noticed this weakness and with a feral grin he swept his sword toward Alice's foot. She took the bait and moved to parry the non-existent blow. With her front now vulnerable, Stayne brought his free hand forward and delivered a punch to Alice's stomach.

The blow was enough to wind her. Alice dropped the too-long blade and clutched her stomach. She lurched wildly and began to cough heavily. Several of her ribs felt like they were broken. She didn't know that the Knave wasn't done injuring her, and the pain blinded her to what happened next.

Stayne swung his sword and the blade sliced a deep gash down her right arm.

That was enough for her to scream in agony as her vision went topsy-turvy and she stumbled. She closed a hand over the wound in an attempt to stop the flow of blood. The warm red liquid was running down her arm and Alice heard a faint dripping sound as it hit the floor. Pain clouded her vision, but Alice could see well enough to look at the Hatter before she lost her footing.

The world seemed to darken as Underland's Champion fell.

Tarrant finally came to and he tried to heave himself off the floor, but he was still dizzy from the impact of his skull hitting the marble tiles. He could only gaze in terror as Alice lost her balance and she too fell to the floor. The sound of her body as it contacted the marble was the only noise that rang through the Hatter's ears.

Stayne stood over her, an insane grin plastered on his face as he reached back to deal another blow. Alice squeezed her eyes shut. She could still feel her blood seep from her body and spread across the marble floor. Soon she would be an empty shell. Death seemed like such a friend right then. She only wished she could have said goodbye to Tarrant first.

Before Stayne was given the chance to end Alice's life a shadow fell over both of them and Stayne only had time to glance up in shock before the Bandersnatch tackled him. The Knave's sword clattered across the marble as the horrid man was thrown halfway across the room from the strength of the beast. He barely had time to react before the Bandersnatch began to exact its revenge upon the Knave.

Mallymkun proceeded to jump from the beast and launched herself forward onto the Knave's face. With a sharp cry she drew her sword out and the resounding noise was enough to make Alice sick. She knew without a doubt that Stayne would now need two eye patches instead of one.

"Alice."

The Champion of Underland was slowly fading out of consciousness. That voice…but it couldn't be. Tarrant had been lying on the floor the last time she saw him. How could he sound so close?

"Alice, ye need ta stay awake. Look at me now."

She felt so heavy; bogged down from the blood that was escaping her body. The air was rank with it. She tried to open her eyelids, but they felt so heavy…if she just rested for a moment longer…

"Come on, lass. Open yer eyes."

She was vaguely aware of someone lifting her arm up and wrapping something around her cut. She guessed it was silk from the smoothness of it. Pain wracked her entire body, but no more blood was pooling on the floor. In fact, Alice felt a wonderful numbness begin to spread throughout her body.

"_Alice!"_

Alice slowly cracked her eyes open. Everything exploded in a flash of white light as her eyes tried to adjust themselves to the brightness of the Red Queen's throne room. She groaned as her head throbbed in pain and then gasped as whatever had been tied around her arm was tightened.

Once her vision swam into focus, she could see something familiar hovering over her. She blinked a few times and Tarrant's face was brought into sudden sharpness. His face looked paler than usual and the pink around his eyes had darkened to a deep magenta. It was his eyes that really shocked her, though: they were an ashen grey.

Tarrant sighed heavily once he saw that she was awake. "Praise be ta th' White Queen. Come on lass, ye need to sit up. Slowly, now."

He guided an arm around her back and Alice grabbed his other arm with her left hand. Tarrant carefully sat her up and he kept his hand on her back in fear of her falling. Alice heard a faint growling sound and she moved her head to try and see what was making the noise.

Tarrant paled even further. "Dannae look there, lass. Please, it's for th' best if ye don'."

She complied and moved her head back to look at the Hatter. She suddenly realized how close he was to her. His eyes still looked dark, but they had a hint of green in them. He was still scared. For her.

Tears came to her eyes as she leaned forward and buried her face in his shoulder. Tarrant stiffened slightly, but he returned the embrace. With his one hand on her back, he brought the other bandaged one up to gently stroke her hair. Alice sobbed anew for what the Knave had done to both her and Tarrant.

"I want to go back to Marmoreal, Tarrant," Alice murmured as she turned to face open air. She was deathly sick of this place. There was an air of decay about it that made her want to retch.

"Aye lass, we'll leave right now if ye want," Tarrant's voice was close to her ear.

Alice nodded mutely. She didn't want to stay here for another second. Tarrant began to stand up from where he had been kneeling and brought Alice with him. Keeping both arms around her for safety, the Hatter stood fully. The ground began to shake as something lumbered up to the two people.

The Hatter's arms tightened around Alice until he realized that it was only the Bandersnatch that was coming to rejoin them. Both he and Alice turned to look as the beast walked up to them. Mally was still perched on its head, and she was wiping down her sword with a bit of fabric she had pulled from her belt. The fur around the Bandersnatch's mouth looked oddly red, but Alice ignored it as bile rose to her throat.

"Are we ready ta leave this godforsaken place, Tarrant?" Mally asked.

The Hatter nodded and Alice looked up at his face. There was a look of hard resolution on it. Something within him had changed during the battle in the Red Queen's fortress. Something had changed in all of them. But there was something off about his appearance as well…

"Your hat," Alice whispered.

Tarrant looked down at her with such confusion that it normally would have made her laugh. Now she could only manage a tiny smile.

"Your hat, Tarrant. It fell off when the Knave…"

The Hatter felt his head and, noticing that he was missing his most distinguished part of his outfit, began to look frantically for it. He spotted it just a few feet away from them, and he let go of Alice quickly to get it. The Champion was left swaying on the spot. She was still weak from losing a large amount of blood, and without Tarrant she had no support.

The Bandersnatch noticed her swaying and walked over to her. It pressed its side against her legs and whined slightly. Alice smiled and took its silent offer. She swung her legs up and over it just before she would have fallen over. Mally turned and gave her a look of deep sympathy when her gaze met the gash on her arm. The pink handkerchief that Tarrant had tied around it was now red.

The dormouse glanced over Alice's shoulder as Tarrant rejoined them. He too swung himself onto the Bandersnatch behind Alice. She felt his sudden warmth and unconsciously leaned into him as the beast they were riding began to move. Tarrant secured his arms around her waist and his voice spoke into her ear.

"Rest now, Alice. I'll wake you when we've reached Marmoreal."

That was all the persuasion Alice needed. Her eyelids drifted shut as consciousness began to slip away from her. The last thing she heard was something that Tarrant whispered into her ear. As sleep claimed her, the young woman smiled to herself at what he had said.

"I love you, Alice."

* * *

**AN**: So, there you have it. It is the bloodiest chapter of the entire story, and I deliberately left out what happened to the Knave. It's up to your imagination how gory it is. It's safe to say he won't be bothering Alice or anyone else ever again.

Read and review!


	19. Waking Dreams

**AN**: I wasn't going to update until later in the week, but all of the astounding reviews made me want to post this chapter now. And it's *drum roll* 5,368 words long! It was going to be a lot shorter, but the characters kept talking and they never got to what I wanted them to say in the first place...Well, it all worked out in the end, and I'm both happy and sad to say that this will be the second-last chapter of this story! The next is a sort of epilogue-thing, so this chapter could also be considered the last (although it makes me sad thinking about it).

I also won't be able to update until next week at the earliest. I'm missing two days of school this week getting my wisdom teeth removed, and then I have graduation and then it's the last week of school before exams and I still have two tests to write...it's a little crazy, to say the least. Plus, you don't want me updating when I'm on pain medication. That would be scary.

Anyway, I just wanted to say a great big _thank you_ to all of my reviewers and readers. All of you have made writing this worthwhile, and your reviews have been astounding. Particularly _**AdriRin**_, who's been with me since the beginning- thank you!**_ KawaiiOniKitsune_**- wow, that was such a huge compliment! Thanks, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter! **_Black Rose Kalli_**- I'm taking your advice and having two more chapters to finish out the story. It does work better that way :) and _**Nyx.20**_- your review made me smile, and here's the insanely long next chapter!

And to the rest of you I didn't mention, I read all of your reviews and you all get a hearty thanks from me. This story would be nothing without all of your support and love.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton do. And Daughtry owns the song the quotation below was taken from.

* * *

_All that I'm after is a life full of laughter  
As long as I'm laughin' with you  
I'm thinkin' that all that still matters is love ever after  
After the life we've been through  
'Cause I know there's no life after you_

- Daughtry, _Life After You_

The first thing Alice became aware of as she woke was she definitely wasn't riding the Bandersnatch anymore. There was something soft and fabric-like beneath her body. She felt like she was floating on a cloud and she couldn't quite remember the last time she had felt this peaceful.

Not wanting to open her eyes quite yet, Alice was content with lying there; breathing in the fresh air of whatever room she was in. She knew with a familiar tug in her heart that she was in Marmoreal, for there was an air of harmony that surrounded her.

She didn't have to live in fear of Stayne any longer; he could no longer hurt her or anyone else. Stretching slightly, Alice focused on her right arm and tried to feel if there was any pain there. Her arm felt quite normal, but she noticed that it was bent at a right angle.

Now that she was curious enough to look around, Alice carefully cracked her eyes open and faced the cream-coloured ceiling of her room. She noticed that elegant moulding framed the walls as she scanned her surroundings. Mirana had placed her in a very quaint and lovely room. There were enough furnishings to make it homely without having her overwhelmed, with a simple bedside table and a few chairs scattered about and a mirror in the back corner.

She even had her own balcony. It was very similar to the one she and the Queen had been on during her last adventure in Underland, except that this one was smaller and there was a tiny table and chairs overlooking the view outside. Translucent white curtains fluttered in the light breeze, as the doors to the balcony had been opened to let fresh air in. She was so tempted to get out of her comfortable bed and pad out to the bright sunlit terrace, but she wanted to see what her arm looked like first.

Glancing down, Alice's first thought of her arm being bent at a right angle was true. Her arm was in a sling, and a generous amount of fresh gauze and wrappings had been draped around the cut. It didn't feel as painful as before, and Alice wondered if they had somehow managed to heal her arm.

"Alice, you finally decided to awaken."

The Champion smiled at that familiar voice. She turned her head from where it had been focusing on her arm to the woman who had just entered the room. Mirana looked as radiant as ever, although her arms had faltered slightly upon her entrance to Alice's chamber. She looked immensely tired, as if a great deal of energy had been taken from her.

Mirana floated over to her bedside and lightly sat down on the feathery comforter. "I do hope I didn't disturb your sleep, my dear." Her dark eyes searched Alice's with some fear. Up close the circles she had first noticed around her eyes were even more apparent. Mirana looked completely drained.

"I am fine, your Highness," Alice said demurely.

Mirana smiled weakly. "You may call me by name when we speak in private like this, Alice. I owe you that much."

Alice shook her head. "You owe me nothing, your- Mirana," she corrected herself. If anyone was in debt it was the Champion, not the Queen. Alice had imposed herself too much and too often on Mirana.

The White Queen regained some of the sparkle in her eyes. "If you insist Alice, then I suppose we are even for now. But we must move on to other things of greater importance. How are you feeling?" she reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes, much like Alice's mother would do when she was a child. The memory made her throat tighten.

"I am feeling much better, Mirana," Alice managed to answer. It was a truthful answer; she felt completely normal. "Even the cut on my arm doesn't feel as deep."

As she heard the Champion's answer, Mirana let out a breath she had been holding in. "That is great news. You had us all worried immensely. That…wound on your arm was very deep. If it wasn't for the Bandersnatch's abilities and a very ancient potion I managed to recreate, you may still very well be in a coma."

Alice's eyebrows shot up in confusion. "The Bandersnatch?"

Mirana gazed around the room with a faraway look on her face. "Yes, the creature helped purify your wound to make it heal faster." Here she frowned in distaste as she remembered what had happened. "It was very nearly down to the bone, my dear. After that I managed to wrap it up and I gave you a potion that helped you to regain the blood I'm sure you lost in your…battle."

Alice smiled. That was three times now the creature had helped to save her life. She made a mental note to thank the Bandersnatch when she next saw him. Alice was surprised that Mirana had let the beast within ten feet of her. She imagined that the sight of him as he entered Marmoreal would have been enough to make the Queen sick.

"But now you are better, I hope," Mirana said, looking upon her again and smiling. "You've been asleep for about fours days, my dear."

If Alice was confused before, now she was completely astounded. She had been in bed for four days? How was that even possible? She should have been woken up long ago; she hadn't been that badly injured to have to stay confined in her room for that long.

Apparently the shock she was experiencing was written all over her face, for Mirana reached a hand across to pat the Champion gently on the shoulder. "It was well-needed rest, Alice. With all the blood you lost, you shouldn't have been moving a lot anyway. Not to mention that Tarrant wouldn't relax until he saw that you were safe." Here the Queen gave her a gentle smile.

Alice's mind swirled as she remembered the last conscious moments with the Hatter before she had fainted from lack of blood. He had said he would wake her when they reached Marmoreal. That obviously hadn't happened, as she couldn't recall reaching the castle. There was something else she remembered that made her breath catch in her throat as she whirled her head around the room in a vain attempt to find the Hatter.

"Mirana, where is Tarrant? I need to talk to him," Alice was still frantically searching the room as she spoke. The White Queen lowered her hand from the Champion's shoulder and she gracefully stood up. Raising her hands up to their former height, she gave Alice a bright smile.

It was her eyes that betrayed her as she chatted in a carefree manner. They had widened as Alice asked her question, and now they focused on a spot above her shoulder. "I'm sure you're hungry by now, Alice. I'll send a servant up with some food soon. Until then you should rest in your bed. You are still recovering, after all."

Before Alice could open her mouth to speak, Mirana glided out of the room as if she was floating on the air. She turned and gave Alice one more brilliantly false smile as she quietly clicked the door shut behind her. With that she was left in total silence, apart from the occasional chirping of a few birds.

Alice sighed heavily. Mirana had deliberately ignored her question, and that made an uneasy chill work its way down her spine. Was there something wrong with Tarrant? He had seemed alright when they had left the Red Queen's castle, although he had hit his head on the floor rather hard. Perhaps something had happened when they had returned to Marmoreal?

She had to move before Mirana's servant came with her food. She had to get some glimpse of the Hatter, and the balcony was the perfect place to see part of the grounds of Marmoreal. At least, that was what she was hoping. If she couldn't see Tarrant outside, then she was going to have to search for him elsewhere in the castle. _Someone_ had to know where he was.

Glancing once more at her arm and flexing it to make sure she could properly move it without causing herself pain, Alice carefully pushed her white bed sheets back. She winced slightly as she manoeuvred her legs to the side of the large bed. Her limbs were stiff from lack of use, but that pain would lessen as she walked more.

With her feet dangling over the edge of the bed, Alice used her good arm to push the rest of her body up from where it had been resting on the sea of pillows Mirana had placed behind her head. She rested for a moment when she was sitting upright. That much movement had tired her slightly and Alice hated to be so weak. She needed to be strong right now. She needed to make it to the balcony.

Taking one last breath to steady herself, Alice leaned all her weight on her left arm and pushed down on the fluffy comforter, levering herself off the bed. Her feet hit the white marble floor sooner than she expected; she nearly lost her balance and she had to grip the edge of the bed so she didn't fall over.

Looking down at herself, Alice realized that she wasn't wearing the clothing that she had come to Underland in. Someone had replaced her beloved blue dress with an outfit that was reminiscent of Alice's trip to Marmoreal two years ago. The off-white silk attire fit her far better than any dress that she had in the Otherworld.

Once Alice had regained her balance again, she slid her feet into the silk slippers that had been set beside her bed. Wrapping her free arm around her injured one for warmth, Alice padded over to the balcony. Her vision no longer swam with dizziness, but she knew that too much time on her feet would drain her of the last of her energy.

Alice smiled once she stepped into the full sunlight that flooded the marble terrace. Her hair was swept behind her head in the light breeze. It was warmer in the fresh air than in her room, and Alice revelled in the change of temperature. As she made it to the railing, Alice reached out with her left arm and braced herself against the cool white stone.

She gazed out at the view from the balcony for a few minutes before letting her gaze wander to the grounds below. She could see a great deal of the vast gardens that the White Queen loved. The cherry blossoms were floating on the wind and she could hear the faint trickling of various fountains scattered around the manicured paths.

There were some people strolling along the grounds, but none of them were the man she was looking for. Bayard was running after his wayward puppies while Bielle looked on from the shade of a large cherry tree. Alice smiled; she had never seen her friend so relaxed and happy. The Tweedles were also walking about and they paused as they came upon a flower bush. Both began to point at it and argue back and forth.

Alice decided while she laughed that they hadn't changed a bit. Scanning around the rest of the courtyard, her breath died in her throat. Her eyes fixed on a secluded part of the garden that a lone person was walking through. He was pacing back and forth and even from the distance she was at, Alice could see that he was arguing with himself.

With a second glance to make sure the Hatter didn't move to another area of the garden, Alice turned and ran from the balcony. She didn't care for food at the moment; all she knew was she needed to get to Tarrant as quickly as possible.

Just as she came within five feet of the door it opened and a servant gave a gasp of surprise as she saw Alice running toward her. Alice knew that she mustn't look all that great; her hair was wild once more and she was still pale from the blood loss except for two splashes of pink across her cheekbones.

"Miss Alice, you shouldn't be up. You need to regain your strength-" the servant squeaked as the Champion ploughed right by her. The tray of food the other woman had been carrying was nearly upset onto the floor and the servant had to fight to regain her balance.

As soon as Alice was through the doorway she turned her head back and uttered an apology to the poor woman. She was rooted on the spot and was giving Alice a bewildered look. The younger woman turned her attention back in front of her just in time to avoid running into Nivens, who had apparently come to see how she was feeling.

"A-Alice, what are you-"

"I'll explain later, McTwisp. I just have to get outside!" Alice called out behind her as she sped away from him. The rabbit was trembling immensely and he kept glancing between her and the open door she had just run through. He looked as if he had just seen a ghost.

Alice shook her head and she kept sprinting down the stone hallway. She had to find a staircase to descend, as she was still very high up in the castle. She rounded a bend in the hall and sighed in relief as she saw an open door ahead of her. A set of spiral stairs were behind it.

She didn't come upon anyone else as she threw the door open and began to run down the worn stone steps. She kept her left hand propped up on the wall and she leaned against the marble as she descended the steps as quickly as possible. Her breathing became slightly laboured as she ran. Alice knew she was straining her body to its limits, but she had to make it outside.

The stairs felt like they were taking an eternity to end. Alice lost count of how many steps she had sprinted down, but as time wore on her legs slowed and she nearly came to a halt. There was a stitch in her side that felt like it was on fire and her right arm was itching terribly. Alice paused for a second to catch her breath before she continued.

It wasn't long after that when the steps began to even out and Alice shielded her eyes as the staircase opened out onto a brightly lit room in Marmoreal. The double doors had been thrown open to let the sunlight in, and Alice could see the gardens behind clear glass windows. Praying that she had come out at the right spot, Alice began to run forward once again and she emerged into the fresh air.

She knew at once she had chosen correctly for she saw a glimpse of brown fur as Bayard ran through a hedge after one of his pups. He caught sight of Alice and glanced at her quizzically before he loped after his wayward child.

Alice brushed her hair out of her face with her free hand and began to walk in the direction that she had seen the Hatter. She glanced up and her eyes found the balcony that she had been standing on minutes earlier. It was facing the same way she was now, so Alice looked ahead. A fountain was blocking her view, but beyond it she swore she could see the top of a familiar hat as its wearer stalked the gardens…

Now that she was sure of where she was walking, Alice stepped forward with renewed purpose in her heart. She knew with certainty that she was meant to do this. The gravel crunched under her feet as she made her way toward the Hatter. Her arm gave a painful twinge but she ignored it. What mattered was the man so close to her, and nothing else.

She picked up speed again as she passed the Tweedles, who gave shouts of indignant surprise. Their voices followed her briefly before they faded into the background. Everything became a blur as Alice sped along the garden path and neared the fountain.

The air cooled for a second as Alice reached the running water, but that soon passed as the fountain faded into the distance behind her. Now that nothing was hindering her view, Alice could see a gap between two rows of tall hedges that opened onto the secluded section of garden that she had seen earlier.

She ran through the open space and found herself in a well-manicured garden. Flowers framed the clearing, and a bench sat in a corner under a large cherry tree. None of those details were important to her at that moment. The only thing that mattered was finding-

Him.

Tarrant had been pacing around the area with a frown set upon his face. His clothes seemed faded and even his eyes were grey. Alice's heart went out to him in that instant. How could she have ever thought of leaving him?

She took a tentative step forward and the Hatter paused as he heard the gravel crunch under Alice's foot. His head snapped up and time slowed as he caught sight of her. Warmth flooded back into his eyes while he stared at her ragged figure. Even the dark circles under his eyes seemed to lighten slightly.

Alice couldn't take the silence any longer. Without a second thought she darted forward, her footfalls loud in the secluded garden. In seconds Alice reached Tarrant and she ran into him. Burying her face into his chest, Alice wrapped her good arm around his back.

Tarrant stiffened in shock. He had no idea why Alice was there, clinging to him like a lifeline, but he found he didn't care for the time being. She had seemingly recovered from her injuries, but she still felt as tiny and weak as a newborn bird. He gently brought his arms up to rest them on her small back. Carefully bringing her closer to him he pressed a light kiss into her hair.

Alice smiled to herself. She had found Tarrant again. Mirana's earlier worry seemed unfounded as she rested her head against the Hatter. Apart from the obvious concern and tiredness, he looked normal. Well, as normal as a mad Hatter could be.

As much as she wanted to stand there in his arms and inhale the smell that was just _him_, Alice knew that she had to talk to Tarrant. And to do that, she would have to let him go. She stirred herself from the stupor his presence had induced in her and she brought her head up to look at him.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw his eyes. They were such a deep, sparkling emerald green that it startled her. He stared at her with such warmth and love that she almost forgot what it was that she had wanted to say to him. She opened and closed her mouth several times before she found her voice.

"T-Tarrant…" Why did she suddenly find it so hard to talk to him? "Did you mean what you said the day we escaped from Crims on the Bandersnatch?"

Tarrant flashed Alice a grin so bright it stunned her. He tilted his head to the side in mock consideration of her question. "Why do you ask what you already know the answer to?"

Alice opened her mouth like a fish out of water. Was he toying with her emotions? She shivered slightly as Tarrant brought one hand up and brushed away a strand of hair that had blown into her face. When his hand lingered for a moment too long, Alice flushed. This behaviour would have been scandalous back in London, but here it felt strangely natural.

"If you're still confused Alice, the answer is yes. I would never lie to you." Tarrant smiled softly at her, and Alice nearly fainted right there and then. Her legs were shaky, but she chalked it up to nerves instead of the other, more obvious answer.

The Hatter caught on to the fact that Alice seemed rather unstable and he tightened the hold his arms had on her still frail body. His eyes searched hers and for a moment they flickered to a dull grey.

"Are you alright, Alice?" the amount of concern in his voice made her heart clench tightly.

"I-I'm not sure…" Alice answered. "I probably shouldn't have been running through the castle…" she now knew why she felt so faint. Her earlier actions had caught up to her and now she felt as wobbly as a newborn foal. Standing was a difficult thing to accomplish, and if it wasn't for Tarrant's firm hold Alice knew she would be lying on the ground.

Tarrant gulped and looked between Alice and the white castle in the distance. "Lass," he sighed heavily. "dannae tell me ye ran through tha' buildin' just tae get here?" When Alice's knees gave way beneath her and it was all he could do to keep her from falling, Tarrant knew the answer to that question.

"Alrigh', if ye wan' tae be stubborn, at least let me help ye sit down," he murmured. He wasn't really angry at Alice; he was more worried than anything. He twisted his head around and spotted the bench over to the right of them. He looked back down at Alice and noticed that she too had been searching for a place to sit. She made eye contact with him and nodded.

He carefully led her toward the stone bench, keeping one hand at her waist and the other holding her left hand. Alice was leaning heavily into his side and he tried to ignore the warmth she was radiating. Once they made it to the bench Tarrant sat Alice down first and then lowered himself beside her.

"Alice, are you sure you're not still injured?" Tarrant's eyes scanned her quickly to see if she had any bruises or bleeding cuts. He wouldn't forgive himself if she had come all this way to see him only to hurt herself further. A mix of emotions was running through him right now; he was happy that Alice was next to him, but he was also scared that she might still be wounded.

Alice leaned against him and chuckled quietly. "No Tarrant, the only injury I have has already been taken care of. My mind's the thing that's recovering."

"Oh," Tarrant said, obviously relieved that Alice was alright, for the most part. "Well, I'm sure you'll be fine soon. I mean, it isn't that I don't care about you or your health because I do, in fact, care. Very much as well, for if you weren't alright, I don't know what I would do-"

"Tarrant," Alice said as she turned her head up to look at him. "You came to save me when I was being tortured in Crims. If that doesn't show you care, then I suppose those words you said to me on the Bandersnatch could be proof as well. Besides," she turned to look at the scenery in front of them, "I'll have a long time to recover here. A very long time, in fact."

"Very…long...time?" the Hatter asked, his voice raising an octave with each word. "I thought you would want to return…home once you've healed."

Here Alice smiled into Tarrant's shoulder before leaning away from him so she could see his face. "Home isn't the Otherworld anymore, Tarrant. Home is here at Marmoreal, listening to the Tweedles squabble or watching Bayard play with his pups. Home is sharing tea with the three maddest friends I have. Home is sitting here with you, taking in the beautiful gardens of the White Queen." Alice reached out with her left hand and closed it over both of Tarrant's.

She could feel the rough fabric that was wound around his fingers and the cold metal of the thimbles. His hands were careworn from his trade, and Alice could already picture him working away at the next batch of hats for the White Queen. She knew without a doubt that she wanted to be there by his side, watching him as he worked.

"And home, Tarrant," Alice said, her voice soft. "Home is where you're surrounded by the people that you love, and the ones that love you back."

Tarrant jumped slightly at her words and he glanced at her, his mouth turning up into a small smile. "I-I would like it very much if you would stay, Alice. I felt terrible when you left the last time, and Time is a most disagreeable fellow."

Alice was filled with happiness that she hadn't felt since Tarrant had first come to the Otherworld to bring her back to Underland. She knew she belonged here; she felt it deep down to her core. Regardless of the peril she had faced every time she had visited Underland, she always had friends to help her.

"But I think that Time might be a little more obliging to you," Tarrant grinned shyly. "You are, after all, Underland's Champion."

Alice laughed softly. "Did I ever tell you that I love you, Tarrant?" her eyes bore into his with such sincerity that it was almost tangible. She hadn't realized it before now, but she loved the madman. It hadn't even clicked in her head until she had seen Tarrant walk into Crims to rescue her that she wanted to be with him when she was in Underland.

She wanted to walk with him in the gardens at Marmoreal, she wanted to have endless tea parties with him and listen to his stories of Underland. Before there had been a deep bond between the two of them, but now she knew it had turned into something else. And it was something else that she wanted to learn more about.

Tarrant had frozen at what she said and his eyes changed back to a vibrant green. He slowly smiled at her. He squeezed her hand in his and when he spoke his voice was trembling with various emotions. "N-no, I don't believe you have. I've waited for four days to hear you say that. I was beginning to think you hadn't heard what I'd said on the Bandersnatch."

Alice shook her head and smiled wistfully at the flowers in the garden. "Well," she murmured, "I did hear you. But I didn't realize it until it was nearly too late. Absolem came to me when I was imprisoned and laid my heart out for me to see." She dragged her gaze from the colourful grove and turned to look back at Tarrant's kaleidoscope eyes.

"Yes, he has the funny ability to give advice like that," Tarrant said softly, as if he was afraid that he would startle her if he spoke louder. His eyes swirled between various shades of green as they gazed at Alice's face.

Even though she was still pale and weak from her attack a few days earlier, he thought she had never looked more beautiful. Her hair was loose and it fluttered in the breeze and her eyes seemed to glow even though they were sitting in the shade. He felt mysteriously drawn to her and he found himself leaning closer to her as if his body was beyond his own control.

Alice too began tilting toward the Hatter and when they were inches apart, her eyelids slid shut. Before anything else could happen, a sudden noise startled the two so badly that they were shaken out of their reverie. Tarrant immediately drew his arms tighter around Alice's body in an attempt to shield her from whatever had sprung into their midst.

Through the cage that the Hatter had formed with his arms, Alice watched as one of the hedges to her left began to tremble and then it seemed to explode as a small animal bounded toward the two of them. That small animal turned out to be a bloodhound puppy, undoubtedly one of Bayard's wayward children.

When it saw Alice it spun its legs in the air to try and stop running. It kicked up bits of dirt and gravel before coming to rest on the ground by Alice. The Champion reached up and gently tugged on Tarrant's coat. The Hatter lowered his arms, but he still kept one around Alice's waist for his peace of mind.

The puppy tilted its head and assessed the people that were sitting in front of them. When it realized who Alice and Tarrant were, it sat straighter and perked up immensely.

"Mistress Alice, it is great to finally meet you in person!" the puppy said with an excited bark. She glanced over to Tarrant and yipped in greeting. It would appear the two had already met. "Father talks about you often, Mistress Alice. He cares for you a lot, he does."

Alice chuckled and reached out to beckon the puppy closer. She hesitated for a second before walking forward and plunking herself down at Alice's feet.

"Well, your father is a very good friend of mine," Alice said as she gently scratched the puppy behind the ears. "He helped me when I came to Underland the second time."

"Yes, he did mention that," the bloodhound said. She stretched out and began to pant lightly. "And he also said that you had to help rescue the Hatter from Salazen Grum. He said you two were very close and-" at this the puppy paused and glanced up between the Champion and Tarrant with wide eyes. "_Oh_."

The puppy froze in place as loud baying filled the air. She glanced fearfully at the hedges before scrambling to her feet. Her tail between her legs, she began to run out of the clearing, but not before a much larger bloodhound blocked the exit.

Bayard took in the scene, from the still startled Hatter to the frail Alice to how close they were sitting. Then he looked down at the trembling puppy in front of him. His daughter was not going anywhere now. He walked forward and bent down, picking the poor puppy up by the scruff of her neck. He turned and placed her behind him.

Nodding once at Alice and Tarrant, Bayard padded away and nudged his daughter to follow him. "You do not go barging in on people when they're in private! Have I taught you nothing, Ella?" the puppy whined as she crept away and back to her mother.

Alice began to shake and Tarrant opened his mouth in alarm until he noticed that she was laughing and not crying. Removing the Hatter's arm from around her waist, Alice leaned toward him and gently brushed her lips against his cheek. She leaned back and smiled softly.

"Should we go? I want to make sure Ella doesn't get into too much trouble. Bayard will probably make what happened seem worse than it was."

Tarrant nodded. He had been put in a slight stupor by Alice's sudden kiss, but now he stood up and offered her his hand. The Champion took it gratefully and together the two began to walk out of the clearing. Alice leaned against Tarrant and he wrapped an arm around her for support and warmth.

As they were walking a sudden thought struck the Hatter like a stray teapot thrown by Thackery. It was such a simple thing, but the previous events in the clearing had sufficiently muddled his mind.

"Alice, have you had anything to eat yet?"

* * *

**AN**: So, there you have it. There will be one more chapter/epilogue-thing after this, and then it officially comes to an end.

Unless...perhaps I'll dive into sequel territory? Otherwise, I am happy with the story as is.

Read and review! There's only one chapter left!


	20. Epilogue

**AN**: Well, here we are, my friends. This is the end. I know I've taken way too long to update this story, but with final exams and all, I was a tad distracted. But now, hot off the press is the epilogue to _Just a Dream and Nothing More_. What can I say? It's been a wild ride for me, and hopefully for the readers too. It's been an amazing experience, and I thank you all for your reviews and favourites (author/story) etc. This story would not have even come close to being finished without all of your love and support.

Just to give you all an idea of how long this thing is:

**Words**: 38,739 (without author's notes)

**Pages**: 74

Yeah, I'm surprised too. But you know what? It's all been worth it. I may write a sequel if I have the time and/or plot ideas, but otherwise I am pleased with the way this story came to a close.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Claire and the other unnamed maids. Otherwise, all credit is due to Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton.

Now, for the epilogue!

* * *

"Are you ready, miss?"

Alice slipped the elegant blue-white dress up over her shoulders and told the maid she was now decent. The other woman came up behind the privacy screen and proceeded to lace up the back of the gown. Alice was thankful that the dress Mirana had commissioned for her had only a slight corset in it. That made getting into it all the easier, as the servant had to only pull slightly to make the dress fit.

It was a lovely thing as well. Though Alice had her suspicions that Tarrant had made it, the White Queen hadn't been forthcoming. The dress was a lovely shade of light blue with white lace trim running around every seam of the dress. The cap sleeves were also mad of the elegant lace, and the modest corset was wrapped with a layer of the material as well. The skirt was simple, with a few pleats to make it fancier and some lace at the bottom to finish it off.

It had been placed on her bed with a note that said to wear it at the upcoming ball later that night. It was an extravagant affair that was supposedly being held to honour her return and recovery in Underland. While Alice had insisted that she didn't need a large party filled with people she didn't know, Mirana had been adamant that the Champion needed to meet some of Underland's dignitaries at least once.

Alice had eventually acquiesced to the Queen's request and now she stood behind a screen with a maid fitted her into a beautiful dress that Alice thought was much too pretty to actually wear. Another couple of maids fretted about her room, making sure that they weren't interrupted as they tried to figure out what to do with Alice's hair. They were on edge enough because the young woman had insisted on dressing herself to some degree.

They still thought her too weak to move a lot on her own.

It had been two weeks since Alice had recklessly run through the castle and out to the gardens. Since then she had spent the time alternating between resting in bed, regaining her strength and taking walks with Tarrant when Mirana would allow it. She felt infinitely better, and thanks were due to the Bandersnatch above all else. The creature had sped up the healing of her arm by a week at least.

Alice would no longer feel faint when she walked and there was just a slight scar on her arm from Stayne's blade cutting her. She had also eaten a great deal of food over the past weeks and the colour had returned to her face. Everyone had noticed that she had brightened considerably, and many thought the Hatter had helped Alice to regain her health.

And the Champion couldn't exactly argue with them. After their meaningful conversation in the gardens, Tarrant was almost always by Alice's side. He would accompany her everywhere, and the smile on her face was proof that Alice didn't mind his presence at all. Mirana grinned softly every time she saw her two closest friends together. They made each other happy, and that was all that mattered.

While she could have done without all of the undoubted expense that Mirana was going to, Alice couldn't help but smile at the thought of the dinner and dancing. In the Otherworld such an even would have made her cringe, but here in Underland she was actually looking forward to the festivities. Especially since a certain Hatter would be there to brighten her otherwise drab disposition.

Alice couldn't wait to see all of her friends that night, but she was missing Tarrant the most. Mirana had banned him from the Champion's presence for the afternoon as Alice had to get ready for the ball. He had protested slightly, but after seeing that she would be in good hands, he reluctantly left Alice to the care of the servants.

The maids had also taken a liking to the curious young woman under their charge. They questioned her about life in the Otherworld and how different it was than Underland. They also tried to worm an answer out of her concerning Tarrant, but Alice was tight-lipped about that. A flush trailed up her face and she refused to speak.

She was brought back to the present by a final gentle tug as one of the maids finished lacing up the back of the dress. The older woman clucked her tongue in appreciation of her handiwork. She was evidently pleased with how the dress had turned out.

"It fits you like a second skin, Miss Alice," the maid, Claire, said. "And you look absolutely beautiful in it. If you don't turn any heads at the ball, then those people have very poor taste." She smoothed out the back of the dress before stepping back and allowing Alice to walk out to the mirror in her room.

Alice gathered up the hem of the dress in her hands as she stepped lightly out from behind the screen. The other maids, who had been waiting anxiously for her, cooed in admiration once they caught sight of the younger woman.

"Oh Miss Alice, you look wonderful!" one said enthusiastically while another nodded from across the room.

Once Alice caught sight of her reflection in the mirror, she had to agree with the maids' praise. She gazed in shock as two other women circled her, debating whether or not to weave ribbons into her hair. Alice ignored them for a few moments while she observed the young woman in the mirror that _couldn't _be her.

There was no mistaking the face that was staring back at her, though. The longer Alice gazed at the mirror the more she admired the time and effort that had gone into making the dress that she now wore. It fit her perfectly, making Alice wonder how that was possible without anyone measuring her.

"Here, miss, let's see about your hair," Claire called as she too walked out from her place behind the screen. The other two maids in the room perked up at her words and scattered to try and find ribbons and other hair accessories.

Alice smiled at them absentmindedly as she was whisked over to the dressing table. She felt a slight tug at her head and realized that the maids had begun to brush her hair out. The action was oddly relaxing, and Alice found herself drifting off to the far reaches of her mind.

Her stomach was fluttering with bread-and-butterflies at the thought of what was awaiting her in mere minutes. She hadn't thought of the ball with such reservations before, but now she knew that it was going to be a life-changing event, whether or not she wanted it to be.

She'd had her fill of insanity over the past few weeks, but now the sea of chaos was calming. That was, until a final wave of uneasiness washed over her in the form of the dance. She tried to reassure herself that it would be fine and the Hatter would probably stand guard over her for the rest of the night.

If only all her worries were that easily dispelled.

There was the matter of Alice's relationship with Tarrant. They were no longer mere friends or comrades fighting in the name of the White Queen. Something had changed between them that day in the garden, and it was making Alice nervous. She had never allowed a man to court her before. Hamish was the closest anyone had come to it.

Perhaps she would…talk to him tonight at the ball? Yes, that was what she would do. Putting it off for any longer period of time would make Tarrant worried. He was the person she was the most familiar with, and she didn't want to sever their friendship.

"There you go, miss Alice. Our work is complete," Claire said with an air of pride.

Alice was jolted out of her thoughts and the mirror suddenly came into sharp focus. She gasped as she stared at her reflection. The maids had truly outdone themselves. They had woven strands of blue and white ribbon through several braids that had been tied at the back of her head while the rest of her hair was left in ringlets. It looked like she was wearing a blue and white crown.

"Claire, it looks wonderful!" Alice cried, standing up and nearly knocking the maid over when she hugged her. Claire seemed shocked at first, but then she hugged the Champion back.

"It was no problem, miss. And I'm sure a certain Hatter will have a similar reaction upon seeing you," the maid said with a twinkle of conspiracy in her eye once she had positioned Alice a few feet from her. "Now you must go! If you're late to your own ball, Mirana will not be pleased."

Alice opened her mouth to respond, but Claire was obstinate. "No time, miss! Off you go!" With a final push Claire shoved Alice to the door as the other two maids opened it. Alice nearly fell as she stumbled through the doorway, but she quickly righted herself. She turned to thank the maids once more, but Claire promptly shut the wooden door in her face.

Just as Alice began looking around to figure out which way she should go as she was unfamiliar with this part of the castle, someone gently tugged on the hem of her dress. Alice barely started at all before looking down and seeing an old friend ready to guide her to the ball.

Nivens looked at her frantically before bringing his pocket watch out to check the time. He gulped at the device before stashing it in his coat. "We must be on our way, Alice. The ball's due to start at any minute." With that the rabbit pulled once more on her dress before hopping down the hallway to the left of Alice.

The Champion stepped lightly over the marble tiles of Marmoreal, following the twists and turns of the hallway as quickly as Nivens. He paused every now and then to allow her to catch up before disappearing out of sight again. Then, and quite abruptly, they both came upon a door.

Nivens stopped hopping and turned around. With a final glance at his watch, he nodded to himself. He glanced up at Alice with wide eyes. "We have arrived at the White Queen's Great Hall. Are you ready to enter the ball, Alice?"

Alice gulped. She could hear faint noises emanating from behind the closed door, but they weren't doing anything to comfort her. She suddenly felt like she was going to faint. Why was it that this party frightened her more than facing the Jabberwocky?

Taking a breath to steady herself, she answered, "Yes, Nivens, if I must. Let's get this over with."

The White Rabbit nodded more to reassure himself than Alice and he turned back to face the door. Reaching up with a trembling paw, he rapped three times upon the wood. The sound echoed loudly in the quiet of the hall and Alice feared that no one had heard the White Rabbit knocking.

She was proved wrong as the door slowly creaked open as if of its own accord and swung back to reveal the entirety of the Great Hall. The brightness of the white room blinded Alice slightly before her eyes adjusted to the glare of the marble.

Taking one last steadying breath, Alice stepped out into the light.

* * *

The ball turned out to be tamer than Alice had first thought. In fact, the whole Great Hall looked the same as Alice had ever seen it, with the exception of innumerable lanterns set up to illuminate the Hall. Since it was after sunset, the room would have otherwise been very dark.

The door she had walked through was a side door not visible to people who were in the centre of the room. This gave her some relief, as she knew Mirana had planned her entrance so she wouldn't be put in the spotlight.

That didn't stop the Queen from coming up and whisking Alice off to meet Underlandian dignitaries almost as soon as she was out from the shadow of the door. Mirana had a bright smile in place as she introduced Alice to too many people to actually remember, but her eyes were downcast.

Before Alice could ask the Queen anything, Mirana spun away and the Champion was left with the Tweedle brothers. While the two bickered over who would dance with her first, Alice tried to locate Mirana. It would appear the Queen had some evaporating skills of her own, for she was nowhere to be found.

"Contrariwise, I talked to her first!" Tweedle Dee argued.

"And as you didn't, I did," Tweedle Dum retorted, elbowing his bother when he stuck his tongue out.

Alice's attention snapped back from her search for the Queen and to the two people in front of her. While she loved the Tweedles terribly, their squabbling was starting to fray her nerves. She was high strung enough without the other two adding more tension to the mix.

"Boys! You can _both_ dance with me. Now, will you please stop your fighting?"

Both of the brothers cocked their heads to the side as they observed her with pure confusion. Alice's statement had truly perplexed them.

"But that ain't possible, nohow," they both chorused.

"Oh, I'm sure it is," Alice reassured them. She grasped their hands and then urged them to do the same. Soon enough they were dancing in a circle and trying for the entire world to look dignified. Alice turned her head to look around the Hall once more. There was still no sight of Mirana. How fast could that woman move?

"If you're lookin' for the Hatter, he ain't here, nohow," Tweedle Dum said as he noticed Alice was moving her head back and forth.

His statement made Alice stop dead in her tracks as a chill ran through her body. The Tweedles bumped into each other and they glanced in fear at the Champion. Alice slowly released her hands from their grip and she stepped shakily away from them.

Her world was falling to pieces all over again. Why was the Hatter not there? He had been so excited for this event, and now he was nowhere to be found. She clenched her hands to stop them from shaking as tears pooled in her eyes. While she didn't know why the Hatter wasn't there, she knew someone who would know where he was.

"I'm sorry, boys. I have to find Mallymkun," Alice whispered as she spun dazedly away from the Tweedles. She nearly fell into another man and she hastily apologized as she picked up the hem of her dress and began to run through the throngs of people.

She hoped that the dormouse was at the party; after all, if Tarrant was supposed to be there then Mally would have automatically come. If she had known the Hatter wasn't going, however, then perhaps she was absent as well. Alice whirled her head back and forth as she looked through the crowds of people. A flash of white told her she had found Mirana, but in another instant Alice had her gaze on the front entrance to Marmoreal.

And with a twist of her heart, she found the mouse she was looking for.

Mallymkun was sitting atop the Bandersnatch, and the both of them were standing guard at the main doors. Alice assumed it was for security of sorts, although she was uncertain as to why they would need it. Marmoreal was perfectly safe now that the Red Queen was gone.

Alice heaved a sigh of relief as she ran as ladylike as she could over to her two friends. As she neared them Mally caught sight of her and smiled, but that look was quickly removed from her face once she saw how lost Alice looked. She hung her head in sadness and even the Bandersnatch seemed forlorn.

"Mallymkun," Alice said with a voice so strained the mouse's name came out as a squeak. "Mallymkun, where is Tarrant?" the lantern light flickering on her face made her cheekbones stand out, making Alice look even more desperate than before.

"A-Alice," Mally said with a voice dripping with shame and regret. "Tarrant was going ta come, he swore he would, but then somethin' came over him. I can't explain it, but all the happiness went away from 'im like a candle that had been blown out."

Alice stared in complete disbelief at the dormouse in front of her. What in Underland was she talking about? Tarrant had been completely fine just earlier that day, so he shouldn't have had any reason to be unhappy.

Alice suddenly found her mouth to be very dry as she spoke to Mally. "But where is he?"

The dormouse's eyes widened substantially and she gulped. She looked to the left and right of Alice, but never actually at her. The Bandersnatch growled lightly at Mally's lack of speech and then the mouse's glance found Alice.

"He's sulkin' at the same spot he sat at for so many years waitin' for your return. He sat down at th' head o' tha' table and refused ta move," Mally spat out quickly before moving her attention elsewhere.

When Alice gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, the dormouse snapped her head back to the Champion. What she saw was Alice's attempt to stay in control of her emotions, but her body was shaking from the effort. Mally was reminded of the window she and the Bandersnatch had leaped through weeks ago.

Alice was as fragile as a pane of glass, and now she was breaking.

Mally tapped the beast's head and the Bandersnatch stood up. Making up her mind in an instant, the dormouse addressed the trembling young woman in front of her. If seeing her in a dress that _he_ had made wasn't enough of a slap in the face, watching her nerves fray was enough of a reason to leave Marmoreal.

"Come now, Alice. I think Tarrant needs your help," Mally began gently.

If words were magical, then Mally's were pure gold. Alice gazed at the tiny mouse with a newfound respect as she walked around to the Bandersnatch's side. With a final nod from Mally, Alice swung herself up and clung to the beast's thick fur.

"Take me to Thackery's, please. And quickly."

* * *

Alice walked cautiously over the rough ground and toward a familiar bleak clearing. She was careful not to step on any piece of debris; shattered teacups, saucers and the remains of a batch of scones littered the ground. If Alice hadn't known any better, she would have said a battle had taken place at the tea table. However, she knew that all of the mess was most likely Thackery's fault. The mad hare had taken to throwing things pell-mell whenever anyone spoke.

The table was empty of the jittery creature at the moment, though. In fact, there was no one at the table except for a certain milliner. And the man didn't seem very happy, either. Everything looked like the colour had been leached out of it and even the Hatter himself appeared lifeless. His hair was dull and his clothes were equally drab.

Alice vaguely heard Mallymkun curse as the dormouse hopped onto the heavily laden table. The mammal scurried across the surface of it, avoiding teacup after saucer after spoon as she made her way to the man that was sitting forlornly at the end of the table.

The Champion froze on the spot as she found her feet no longer obeyed her. The Bandersnatch whined slightly and pressed his warm body against hers for support. Alice reached down and patted the creature on his head. She needed all the stability possible right now.

When Mally was a foot from Tarrant she drew her hatpin sword out and tapped it on the rim of the nearest teacup. Tarrant's reaction was so violent that Mally had to duck as the Hatter was jolted from his reverie and he sent a saucer flying.

Alice moved her head to the side to avoid it but as it soared by her she felt the lightest of touches graze along her face. The saucer hit a tree behind her and it shattered into countless shards. Even as Mally was trying to talk sense into Tarrant, Alice reached up and brushed a hand across her face.

When she drew it back, a thin line of red was smeared across her palm.

"Tarrant! Tarrant, will you listen ta me? Alice is here ta see you, so you can-" Mally's voice died in her throat as she turned and looked at the Champion. Moving her eyes from Alice's face to her bloodied hand, all other traces of thought left her brain. Mally was completely dumbstruck and she realized that their situation had just become a lot more complicated.

A tiny groan like an aftershock of an earthquake ran through the Hatter as he gazed at Alice. He had hurt her. He had hurt Alice. Those were the only thoughts swirling through his muddled mind as he tried to keep a hold on his sanity. Numerous voices were screaming at him from the inside of his skull, berating him for what he had done and telling him to leave right _now_.

Alice looked between her hand and Tarrant and made the connection in an instant. The poor man must be breaking from the inside out because of what he had done to her, albeit accidentally. He didn't know that she was in no pain; that the blood had dried on her face by now. She motioned for Mally to step back from the Hatter and she obliged, running off the table and over to the safety of the Bandersnatch.

Once Alice was sure Mally was far enough away, she hesitantly began to approach the Hatter. He was completely ignoring her for the moment, as his eyes were glued to the spot where the saucer had exploded in a shower of porcelain shards. Even when she stepped over stale scones that crunched under her feet, his attention didn't shift.

When she reached the end of the table and drew up a chair to sit beside him he seemed to snap back to reality, glancing at her for a few seconds before diverting his gaze to the empty teacup sitting in front of him. His hands were trembling where they were placed on the edge of the table and his eyes had trouble deciding what colour to settle on.

Using the hand not smeared with her blood, Alice reached up and gently touched the Hatter's bandaged hands. He barely gave her any reaction at all, apart from staring at her unscathed hand. He started to tremble now and tears pooled in his eyes.

"A-Alice…" he whispered. "You need to leave now. You must leave…"

The Champion shook her head. Squeezing his hand reassuringly, she brought her other hand onto the table and placed it palm up in front of him. "Tarrant, I'm completely fine. The cut is tiny; the blood's already dry. I won't even have a scar." And, adding it as an afterthought, she murmured, "I'm not angry with you."

Tarrant stared long and hard at the thin line of red on her palm before looking up at the cut on the side of her face. He was still scared of what he had done, or could do to her, but he could see now that Alice wasn't that injured. When his gaze wandered from her face to the dress she was wearing his brain nearly stopped working altogether.

Alice was wearing _the_ dress; the dress that Mirana had commissioned him to make for the ball in the Champion's honour. It had haunted him ever since he had begun work on it. He had already half-heartedly started on a dress for when Alice would return to Underland, but it had stayed in his workshop for two years.

Every time he walked into that room, there it stood; mocking him of the fact that Alice was gone and would never return. It had hurt him too much to work on it; it reminded him too much of a pair of bright eyes and a swish of golden hair. It was during the making of that dress that he was sure he had become mad.

But then he had found her in the Otherworld and, after a long and painful struggle, brought her back to Marmoreal. When Mirana had requested he make a dress for the ball, he knew what dress he would use. He brushed the dust off the blue dress and began to fervently finish it for her.

By now he wasn't afraid of the dress or the memories it stirred up, but he still wasn't prepared to see Alice wearing it. She looked even lovelier in it than he could ever have imagined; blue and white suited her perfectly.

"I'd already had one in mind, you see, for your return," Tarrant murmured more to himself than to Alice as he continued to gaze at the dress. "I was afraid that I would never see you again, much less wear the dress I had made…"

Alice smiled. So he _had_ made it after all. She was infinitely glad of that; it made her feel even closer to him than before. He had so much talent that it was unbelievable. Taking both of his hands in hers, she gently tugged at them. He gazed worriedly at her for one more moment before standing with her.

When Alice had pulled him to the side of the table with her and they were clear of the litter on the ground, they both stood still. Her gaze, shining brightly despite the semi-darkness they were in, was fixed on Tarrant's.

"You know, I never had a proper dance at my ball," Alice said cautiously, smiling softly at Tarrant. She hoped that this would cheer him up significantly, but all she got in response was a frown and a quick glance at her from worried grey eyes.

"I'm not sure that would be a good thing," Tarrant murmured. "I don't think you should be this close to me, Alice. I'm afraid…"

"Tarrant?" Alice asked. She brought a hand up to touch his face, but he moved his head aside to avoid her. A sudden thought struck her. It was, after all, the reason she had come to see him. "Why didn't you come to the ball?"

Tarrant let out a sigh and moved his head back long enough for Alice to gently brush her fingers across his face. "I was going to come, but then I remembered the conversation we had in the garden. I know how you feel about me, and I know you know how I feel about you, but I'm afraid, Alice. What happened earlier, when I hurt you…" he paused for a moment and looked at the cut on her face. "What if it happened again? I've never let someone become this close to me, and it scares me…"

Alice smiled. Bringing her hand down from his face to grip his hands again, she allowed herself a small laugh. "Tarrant, you could never hurt me, at least not intentionally. What happened earlier was an _accident_ and nothing more. You saved my life when we were in Crims; I'm here today thanks to you. My feelings haven't changed, Tarrant. If anything, they've grown stronger over these past weeks."

Alice heard a shuffling sound from behind her, and she knew without looking that Mally and the Bandersnatch were giving them some much-needed privacy. She looked up into Tarrant's face and saw that his eyes had finally shifted to the deep green that she loved. His grip on her hands tightened slightly and that gave her more of an answer than any words could.

"Now," she smiled. "What about that dance?"

Tarrant grinned softly back at her, removing his hands from hers and placing one at her back and the other at her waist. Gently drawing her closer to him, he bent his head down and brushed his lips against hers. Alice's eyes fluttered shut and for a few precious seconds it was just the two of them in the world.

When Tarrant leaned back, Alice thought it was over too soon, but one look at his emerald eyes was all it took to quash that thought. He tilted his head to look at her, and this time the grin stayed on his face.

"It would be my honour to dance with you, my Alice," he said in answer to her earlier question. Her heart nearly stopped as he kept one hand at her waist, but brought the other one up to hold one of hers.

Alice smiled gently and held onto his hand while she kept balance by placing the other hand on his chest. She vaguely noticed that the phonograph music that had always been in the background was growing in volume as the Hatter began to slowly dance with her.

Alice couldn't keep her happiness closed in any longer. With a contented sigh, she rested her head against Tarrant's shoulder and let him lead. As they swayed back and forth a thought floated through her head. It was one that made the last piece of the puzzle that was her life fall into place.

He wasn't just a dream and nothing more.

He was real, and nothing less.

* * *

**AN**: Well, there you have it. I may do a one-shot about Tarrant making the dress Alice was wearing, but until then I'm taking a break.

'Til next time, read and review!

:)fancyfarmer


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